


Smirking Predators

by SamBarron



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alive!Sirius, Assassins with low moral code, But they're over 18, Deaged Draco, F/F, F/M, It's OCcentric, M/M, Manipulative Dumbledore, Pre-Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, There is some underage drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-05-14 07:48:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 47,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5735548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamBarron/pseuds/SamBarron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seventeen teen show up and turn the wizarding world on its head. They don't have the patience nor the moral code to allow Dumbledore to deal with Voldemort in his own time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chaos Interferes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I've went back over this and fixed some of the things that have bugged me. Not much has changed, but it’s easier to read, I think, and a few pieces have been redone to make it less confusing.
> 
> §Parsletongue§  
> ‘mind speak’  
> “different language and spells”  
> “Personal language”

A sleepy groan echoes throughout the bedroom that takes up the attic. The sole occupant of the circular bed under one of the windows rolls out of the bed, her hair a messy halo of blonde, blue and black around her face. Scrunching up her nose at the taste in her mouth, she heads to the bathroom to brush her teeth. A quick glance in the mirror has her deciding that it was too early to even attempt to tame her hair. She stumbles downstairs, still in her pajamas, and starts her coffee machine before moving to the fridge for milk, eggs, and cheese. As she closes the fridge she notices the paper stuck the fridge by one of the cat magnets that her mother loathes. She grins, knowing that her mother probably sneered at it when she used it. It was why she kept buying them, no matter how many times her mother or father threw them out. She pulls the paper with her when she goes to the pantry for the pancake mix.

'Synkínisi, we went on our vacation to France. Don't know when we'll be back. Don't trash the house.

Diane and Liam.'

Rolling her eyes, she crumples the paper and tosses it in the trashcan. Another Christmas and birthday alone. She forgets about them leaving her once again as she makes her breakfast, eventually sitting down at the bar with pancakes, an omelet, and her coffee. Synkínisi places her dishes into the washer and heads back upstairs, throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail on the way. Reaching the room she wanted, she draws two wooden swords, and hits a button with her elbow causing several dummies to pop up and shoot towards her. Staying at it for several hours, constantly dodging and hacking at the cloth and wood dummies, she stops, panting, and soaked in sweat. Sliding her swords back into their holder, Synkínisi strips on the way to her shower, her clothing being flung in the general direction of her hamper. The water is nearly too hot to bare and for awhile she just stands there, soaking in the heat, pale, freckled skin turning pink. Slipping into skinny jeans and a black _Smokey Joe and the Kid_ tee shirt, she quickly dries her blonde hair dyed light blue mid way through that gets progressively darker until it reaches the black tips. It's slightly frizzy, as usual, and she's forced to blink rapidly as a strand gets caught in her eye, causing both electric blue orbs to water. She swipes at her face, dislodging the strand, and moves it over her left shoulder glaring in the mirror at the wavy mess.

"What to do, what to do?" She muses, tapping a finger that stays unpainted, though the rest are either purple or blue, it's just to upset her mother, against her chin before smirking and heading to the theatre in the basement, grabbing her movies, the carton of cookie dough ice cream in the freezer in the kitchen, and the six pack of root beer from the pantry on the way. Tomorrow, December the 13th, a friday, she's turning 19, and again her parents have decided they need a vacay. With a sigh, she plays _Friday the 13th,_ not caring in the slightest that it's only about two weeks till Christmas. Besides Diane and Liam won't be home then either. By the time the first movie is done, half of the ice cream and one can of soda is gone. Curling her sock covered feet under her, she flips the input to the xbox setting and creates a new bioshock game, intent on beating the game in one sitting. She's finishing her third root beer during a cutscene when the screen goes black. A face starts to materialize, one she has seen in her dreams for 19 years.

"Synkínisi."

"Lady Chaos?" Synkínisi's feet hit the ground in record time as she springs up.

"Synkínisi save them."

"Mamma?" As soon as the syllables pass her lips, she can feel an energy grab her and tug. When her feet touch solid ground again, she's in a circular room, rows of benches in the form of a stadium around the circular platform in the middle, reminding her of the Coliseum, and she has her magic back. For a moment that's all she can focus on, the feeling of her magic flowing through her once again and she knows if she had a mirror, her irises would hold purple flecks as they did decades ago. A crashing noise startles her into looking up and she watches six teenagers fly out of a door near the ceiling before falling towards the platform. The brunette girl cries out suddenly.

" _Arresto momento_." Synkínisi recognizes the spell and strengthens it before they can splat on the marble. She studies the group, a tall, freckled, redhead boy, a short, raven haired Indian boy, and a brunette boy, just now losing his baby fat it would seem, his height between the two boys. The brunette girl has the darkest skin out of all of them, and her hair is wilder than Nisi's. There are two more girls, a freckled redhead, and a silvery blonde. The raven haired boy approaches the stone arch standing on the platform, a veil fluttering under it, and asks the others with him if they can hear what it's saying. The brunette girl says there's nothing there but the blonde says she can hear it too. Nisi doesn't move, content with watching from afar for now, while trying to figure out who she was here for. Black smoke and cackles cause her to glance up again and narrow her eyes as it swarms the teens on the platform. When it clears all but the raven haired boy are on the edge of the platform, an adult in black robes holding each at wand point. A man with long platinum hair approaches the teen standing alone.

"Give me the prophecy." He's holding out his hand. "Give it to me and none of your friends will be hurt."

"Don't give it to him Harry." The brunette boy shouts causing the crazed witch holding him to place her wand over his throat. A light flashes behind the aristocratic guy asking for the prophecy and he turns around confused.

"Don't touch my godson." The newcomer that appeared in the flash of white light punches the blonde guy making Harry smile. More white flashes, bringing in others who start to duel those in black. One figure cloaked in black turns into smoke and shoots to the door. Nisi flicks her wrist sending him into the opposite wall and she can hear his spine break, a small smirk twisting her lips.

" _Avada Kedavra._ " Another column of smoke lands midway on the benches and the woman that forms from it shoots an acid green spell that hits the first guy to show up in a flash of white. Nisi is moving before she can actually comprehend it. She starts counting when the man's body begins to fall into the Veil. Without truly thinking she follows only to have something warm grasp her hand. She looks back ready to curse anyone trying to stop her when she meets a tan face, one of his eyes blue the other liquid gold, neither with a pupil. He would never attempt to stop her so she lunges forward some in order to grab the front of the shirt of Harry's godfather. Leaning backwards, she drags the man with her, trusting the other to get them out. On the other side, an Italian guy is pulling on the teen that followed Nisi. On one side of him is a muscled Egyptian guy, the other has an equally muscled Mongolian guy, roughly the same age, both begin pushing him away from the Veil, not allowing him to fall in. The two teens dragging Harry’s godfather yank themselves, and the older man, out of the Veil. Once back in the mortal realm, she hits her knees, palms flat on the cool marble, gasping for air, trying to regain function over her lungs, and not caring about the 16 new teens in the room, one of them on the other side of the guy they pulled with them, flat on his ass, blonde head between his knees. The rest form a semicircle between them and everyone else.

"I was dead." The godfather's head swivels between the two blondes, long black hair swinging with the action.

' _The boy Synkínisi.'_ Her head snaps around catching Harry chase after the woman who cast the killing curse.

"Shit." She scrambles to her feet, trying to get purchase with her socks still on. Eventually getting her feet under her, she bolts towards the door they just exited and enters in time to see a new figure disarm the boy as he turns. Harry's green eyes widen when he sees her as she continues to sprint towards them. The guy in black whirls around just as she collides with him. They both fall, her making sure he's on bottom, his head cracking against the marble. She rears back before slamming her fist into his face that isn't natural, no nose, no hair, just odd, feeling satisfied as bones crack under her knuckles.

" _Avada Kedavra._ " The shriek has her rolling to the side in order to avoid the curse, her fingers twitch, causing a spike of marble to shoot up from the ground and pierce the woman to the ceiling.

"Bellatrix!" Another flick of her wrist has a shield covering the woman, not allowing any of the man's spells to reach her and allowing her to bleed out.

"Oopsies. Was she important?" A malicious grin covers Nisi's face when he turns his full rage on her. Someone walks up on her left side, but the smell of gunpowder and victory makes her grin grow. Out of the corner of her eye she can see a white blonde and a crimson redhead girl pulling Harry away from the now trio standoff. The unnatural looking man fires off a killing curse and a gold shield covers the two teens before it can come into contact.

"Now that's not very polite." Nisi chides with a small chuckle.

"We don't even know your name." He splutters before snarling.

"I am Lord Voldemort."

"Never heard of you."

"Nope." Nisi agrees with the teen on her left, popping the 'p'. Her fingers encircle his wrist as Voldemort fires a _crucio_ at them. It connects but he can only gape when the torture curse doesn't affect them. Synkínisi rocks back on her heels before smirking. She reaches into thin air beside her, pulling out a cedar wand, and shoots a spell. He's forced to jump to the side when it shatters his shield. The shield turns purple when Nisi starts controlling it, allowing the other to attack. A few small cutting curses get through, one up her left forearm, another across his cheek, but neither care. She aims a cutting curse for Voldemort's jugular, her partner's just barely missing the major artery in his leg. She is forced to jerk her wand upwards as he disappears and other people floo in, the curse barely missing the Minister's head.

"He's back." The minister mumbles, paling rapidly.

"Oh wow, the man has working eyes." Nisi snarks, walking back to the group from the Veil room. Kneeling, she traces a rune into the floor with her wand. A swirling black and purple portal forms above it. She faces the group again and watches the 16 teens that showed up as she entered the veil, enter the portal.

"I don't think I caught your name." The guy that she had saved takes a step towards her. She quirks an eyebrow.

"I didn't catch yours either."

"Sirius Black."

"Synkínisi." She goes to walk into the portal, the Italian and the teen with a blue and gold eye are waiting for her at the entrance.

"You saved my life. I owe you a life debt." She pauses and turns back towards him, a contemplative look on her face. Her gaze lands on the brunette boy and she just waits until he meets her eyes. She turns her gaze onto the woman still pinned to the ceiling, now dead. She feels his gaze follow hers. Returning her blue eyes to the boy's face, she waits again for him to look at her. His face is pale but determined. Her eyes travel back to Sirius.

"There are no debts between friends." She turns away and moves to the portal, ignoring his wide grey eyes and gaping mouth.

"Synkínisi!" Stepping out of the portal, the blonde is swarmed by the 16 teens waiting.

"Fucking hell Nisi." The blonde teen that entered the veil with her, Josh, wraps his arms around her, his eyes now electric blue with golden flecks. He pulls back and studies her face, before hugging his twin again, arms tighter than before. Nisi's nose is pressed into his shoulder and she just clings to him for a moment.

"I missed all of you."

"We missed you too." Josh murmurs softly.

"I think Anthony was going crazy." A teenage boy with light brown hair and light hazel eyes, stage whispers to the twins still holding on to each other. Nisi chuckles and turns to face the Italian leaning up against her kitchen counter glaring at Jay, his green eyes softening when they lock onto her. Josh moves back and Anthony stalks forward, reminding Nisi of a panther. An elegant finger tilts her chin up and a hand cups her cheek as he leans down and presses a kiss to her lips. Her eyes flutter shut at the pressure and she leans up into it, rising to her tippy toes, her hands tangling in his hair. When they break apart, she returns to flat feet and turns back towards everyone, his arm wrap around her waist and his chin rest on her head.

"So does anyone have any idea what's going on?" Nisi asks them, exasperation clear.

"Lady Chaos wants us to protect them." Quinn shrugs, her dark red, nearly purple, hair rippling with the motion.

"Protect who though?"

"Right now there are three separate factions trying to gain control over the war." Everyone looks over to find Lady Chaos standing in the middle of the living room, black skin that sucks in the light around it, white freckles in the form of galaxies, dark purple eyes, and flaming red hair. "The Ministry, Voldemort, and Albus Dumbledore. Thou are to protect the Wizarding world. Dumbledore might have the right idea that Voldemort needs to be defeated, but he is too concerned with a prophecy and making sure he is in charge."

"And the other two?" Alex asks, tucking a few strands of her crimson red hair behind her ear, pale jade green eyes locked onto the Primordial Goddess.

"Well that is a rather long story. Come get comfortable."

 

* * *

 

 

Nisi stretches, trying not to jostle the sleeping form next to her. They had all fallen asleep in the pillow pit they had created after talking for hours about the state of the Wizarding world and how they wanted to handle it. Anthony blinks sleepily, looking at the girl in his arms.

“Happy Birthday gattina.”

“Mmmm, it is, isn’t it.” She yawns, snuggling deeper into him. He stands up smoothly, bringing her with him, making her glare weakly at her displacement. Grinning, he picks her up bridal style and carries her up to her bathroom. When her feet touch back down, she moves to the sink and starts brushing her teeth.

“Gods, Syn, I really missed you.” He mutters against her neck after turning on the shower.

“I’m just brushing my teeth.” She says thickly.

“I still find it amazing that you’re absolutely sluggish on a normal morning.”

“Mornings suck.” Grumbling, she pokes his stomach, and moves to the shower, stripping on the way, his eyes tracking her, roving as she goes. He turns back around and picks up his toothbrush. Before passing out, they all managed to bring clothes and other personal items to the house. She’s just standing under the stream of water, trying to wake up more. After setting the toothbrush down, he turns and leans against the granite counter. Wiping water out of her eyes, she looks up at him. “Wake me up?” He pushes off and moves to her, his shirt landing next to hers on the floor.

Josh glances up as his twin and her lover enter the kitchen, hair still dripping a little. He rolls his eyes and hands them both a cup of coffee.

“So, sis, how did you become so awake?”

“I’ve been up for nearly an hour.”

“An hour? Gods how long can you two go at it? You two haven’t seen each other in about 20 years, and the day you meet up again, it’s like there was never a two decade period of separation.” Charlotte points out, ice blue eyes narrowed at them, from Jake’s lap at the little breakfast nook. The motion of her turning to them seta her long, white blonde hair swinging. Jake’s dirty blonde hair is nearly as long as Charlotte’s, and his eyes several shades darker green than Anthony’s.  Anthony just smiles at the oldest girl of the group, while Nisi just dazes off, a loving glint in her eyes as she watches them interact.

“You okay?” Josh slips up beside his sister.

“Yeah, I just really missed all of you.”

“Did you remember us?”

“Yeah. I thought I was going crazy for a little bit. Memories I shouldn't have. People I haven't met. People I love. I had friends sure, but that's it. Just plain friends, no lovers, no twins, no might as well be family. I was alone. I was going to spend the day playing video games, watching horror, gory movies, eating ice cream, and drinking soda."

"Not anymore." His hand lands on her shoulder, eyes intense.

"No, not anymore."

"Cake!" Al, Jay’s little brother, calls out, levitating two enormous cakes into the room, one red velvet, the other a lemon cheesecake. His bright eyes are darker than his brother's and hold more of a green tint rather than Jay’s blue and hazel.

 

* * *

 

Nisi flicks a glance over her shoulder to see Kana and her short, soft, black hair, talking to a different worker. Returning her attention to the goblin in front of her, she flashes a small smile.

"Morning, is Madam Ironfist still here?"

"Yes." He curtly responds.

"May I see her?" The goblin looks up and glares at her. "Can you at least tell her Synkínisi Barron is here. Please?" He huffs but walks away towards the offices. Well, as long as they haven't changed the layout. She wrinkles her nose at the thought.

"Lady Barron?" A raspy, slightly feminine voice startles her out of her thoughts.

"Madam Ironfist!" Nisi turns rapidly, her eyes landing on the goblin staring at her like she's seen a ghost. She hastily places a fist over her heart and bows at the waist. " _Madam, it is a pleasure as always."_ She slips into Goblebrook making several goblins' eyes widen.

_"How are you alive?"_

_"A magician never tells her secrets."_ Ironfist splutters as Nisi straightens out.

" _With me. Goldrod return to your desk."_ Nisi winks at the flabbergasted goblin before following Ironfist.

"Madam-"

"Lady."

"Ouch alright. Ironfist how have you been?"

"Well considering I lost all of the humans i was even remotely fond of? Just grand." She winces at Ironfist's answer and doesn't speak again until they're in her office.

"Where do you want me to begin?"

"How are you here?"

"Before everything, I had tied my magical core to my soul. It was the only way I could think of stopping **him** from taking it from me. Apparently that screwed with the whole dying process. I died alright but I was reborn with my magic, which doesn't usually happen, at least not like that, and some of my memories."

"Why are you just now coming to tell me this?"

"I was stuck. I couldn't access my magic and all of my previous memories came to me in my dreams and nightmares. For awhile I thought I was just going mental. Yesterday, Lady Chaos brought me here to Britain, the Ministry to be exact, and Her power coursing through me unlocked my magic."

"So, you tied your magic to your soul, died, reincarnated, became stuck, and just now got everything again."

"Yup."

"Only with you."

"Well..... you see... the rest are back too." Nisi gives an apologetic half smile and a small shrug. Ironfist just stares at her.

“How?”

“Lady Chaos and Twilight’s Pride refuse to allow me to do this alone. So when I came back, they appealed to the Night Pantheon. Apparently there was an unanimous decision to allow all of the others to return with me. And since the Night Pantheon has the most control over death and reincarnation, the Sky Pantheon had no say whatsoever. So tada.”

" _Crazy, idiotic, stupid teens. They're going to be the death of me._ " Nisi chuckles at her grumbling.

"Alright, what do you need?"

"My vaults reopened and another list of the properties under my name. Memory is still kinda fuzzy." She watches the goblin get up and sift through a cabinet, pulling out a thick folder with 'Barron' written on the front.

"I'll take you down to your vault in a moment. Your properties include Barron Castle in Ireland, the townhouse here in Britain, and the Villa in Greece."

"There's a manor in Colorado that I want. At the moment it's occupied by a couple that rarely spend any time there. Is it possible for me to come into ownership of it?"

"Who owns it?"

"Diane and Liam Rhode."

"I will get right on it."

"Thank you Madam Ironfist."

"You are very welcome Lady Barron. Your vault now?"

"Yes Madam." They move to one of the carts and take off down into the cavern. The ride reminds her of a rollercoaster and she tilts her head back, laughing as the wind whips past her face and tosses her hair around. It eventually stops at a vault numbered 001. "Gods I missed that." She skips up to the door and easily slits her palm with her nail. As the blood wells up, she places it on the cool metal, listening to the clicks and whirls inside the door. It open up into an empty, square room with a door on each wall. Madam Ironfist follows Nisi to the center of the room where they both pause and Nisi squeezes her hand allowing three more drops of blood to fall on the ground, healing the cut afterwards. Ironfist lets out a sigh of relief when three distinct clicks fill the room. Nisi grins at her then moves to the door on her right. Flinging it open, she walks in and starts to pick through it all, pulling out a red knife sheath that she places on her right thigh and a blue and purple sword sheath that holds a sword on each side that goes around her hips. She keeps searching until she finds two black swords, one of them edged in what appears to be a glasslike substance, the metal part laced with purple, the other doesn't have that edge, instead half of it seems to shine oddly, and is laced with blue.

"You never did explain to me where you got those."

"They're Stygian iron, crafted from the river Styx. I was gifted them, but they were hastily made due to the circumstances at the time. After awhile, a friend, Bran, took them as a challenge and reforged them, adding the colors as a warning to those that crossed me, reminding them who I was. With the purple one, he decided to edge it in dragonfire glass, another warning that I was never alone. The other, he encased half of the blade with black diamond, something about dark beauty." She finishes with a quiet sigh, tracing a vein of purple. "Well next room." Shrugging off the lingering sadness, she ushers the goblin into the door straight across from the main entrance. Nisi grabs a trunk and starts to sort through a pile of books, ignoring the portrait next to her.

"We heard you died." The whisper has her glancing over at the man with dark blonde hair in a ponytail at his shoulder.

"Mhmm. I did." She keeps going through the books tossing several of them into the trunk.

"Did you do what that bastard Tom did?" Nisi's eyebrows furrow as she looks over at a portrait of a young woman, maybe her late twenties.

"Tom? Tom who?"

"Riddle." She snarls making Nisi get up and summon all of the portraits into a half circle in front of her as she plops on the ground.

"What did Riddle do?" When none of the portraits respond, some glaring at her, the others refusing to meet her eye, she sighs and begins to braid her hair of her shoulder, trying to calm her temper. "Okay listen. I've only ran into Voldemort once, and that time I literally ran into him, slammed his head into a marble floor, and repeatedly punched him in the face, breaking several bones. That **thing** probably loathes me and if he has done something that makes killing nearly impossible, and I don't know what that is, it is highly possible that I will die. Again. So if you know something, now would be a great time to let me know." She waits and eventually the woman huffs before glaring at her.

"Soul jars." Nisi facepalms and starts grumbling under her breath.

"Fucking bastard. Psychopathic moron. Is he mental? What the hell?"

"Are you saying that isn't what you did?" Her head snaps up and the stares at the woman that asked her if she did what Tom did, her mouth hanging open.

"NO! I did NOT make a damn Horcrux. No no no. I like my soul thank you very much! Wait did you say jar **s** as in plural?" When she nods, Nisi groans and rubs her palms into her eyes. "Fuck."

"You didn't make any?"

"No." Her growl has the portraits wincing and looking away. "How do you guys know that he did?"

"He used me to make one." Her tone is much nicer now that she knows Nisi never made a horcrux.

"What's your name?"

"Catherine."

"Alright, Catherine, did you see what the object was?"

"A ring and it had this symbol on the side. It was a line-"

"Wait, here." Nisi summons a blank piece of parchment and a quill. A quick wave and a jab of her wand causes the items to appear inside the picture.

"How did you-" a different portrait gasps.

"Magic." She waggles her fingers in his general direction, watching the girl draw a triangle with a circle inside it and a line halving it. "Peverell?"

"He said it was the Gaunt ring."

"Gaunt? Alright, thanks. I'll take care of them."

"What?" Several portraits gasp in shock.

"What? I'm going to take care of them." She shrugs nonchalantly.

"They're dangerous!"

"So am I. So?"

"They could kill you!"

"A simple summoning charm or levitating charm could kill me. Trust me, it'll be fine." Waving off the concern, she stands and stretches. "Do you guys have other portraits? I'm opening up the homes again." After informing her which homes their counterparts resided in, she grabs the trunk of books and leaves the room, Madam Ironfist close behind.

"What was that about?"

"Voldie split his soul into several Horcruxes. One of them was able to inform me what one of them is. Do you guys still have the Gaunt file, like their properties and such?"

"We should. I'll check myself."

"Wonderful. Last room." She flashes the goblin with a bright smile.

"What are you going to do with the soul pieces?" She asks as the human starts to sort through the large pile of gold in the center of the room.

"Destroy them." She shrugs picking up a wallet that has direct access to the vault allowing her to withdraw money from anywhere. She picks up something that resembles a muggle black credit card, usable in both wizard and muggle worlds.

"Why?"

"He's my target, as are his death eaters."

"All of you are back?"

"Yes."

"Are you guys willing to be rehired?"

"You're willing to do so?" Nisi turns to study Madam Ironfist. Decades ago, the group would often travel to ancient sites for Gringotts, break any curses around the place and take an inventory of everything inside. And if any branch of the bank suffered from a cave in or anything similar, they would go and help clear it out, rescue those trapped, reset traps, anything the goblins needed done, they would do.

"More than willing."

"Sure. We loved it, still do i'm pretty sure."

"I also want to create a new contract."

"About?"

"Taking out death eaters. They are a threat to this bank. We'd be willing to give you 50 gallons for each death."

"Can I search their vaults for books?"

"Just books?"

"We don't need the money, artifacts I'm not really interested in, unless it's something you guys refuse to keep, and I know all of us will desire the books more than anything."

"We can arrange that, yes."

"I killed Bellatrix Lestrange and some male death muncher yesterday evening. Do they still count?"

"Once you sign the contract their names will appear, so yes."

"Alright, I'm done down here. Wanna head back up?"

"Of course." Back on the ground level, Madam Ironfist leads the way to a conference room. "Are the others here?"

"Yes Madam." The goblin nods before sending a messenger to the other managers of the favored humans. Within minutes 16 other teens and goblins enter the room and settle around the table, Nisi and Ironfist on one end, Josh and Ragnok on the other, everyone else on the other side of the table from their managers.

"We desire to rehire you using the old contracts as the base." Madam Ironfist begins, rather bluntly.

"I personally like the idea. I enjoyed what we did." There's silence after Nisi speaks.

"I'm up for it." Akil grins, amber eyes lighting up, once again looking like a pharaoh of ancient Egypt, and everyone nods in agreement.

"Excellent. Spearhead, retrieve the old contracts, bring them here." One of the goblin scribes nods and leaves quickly. "I also have another proposition." She waits just a moment, feeling the weight of all of the eyes upon her which causes a thrill of mixed emotions to run through her. On one hand these are her favorite humans, highly respectful, learned their language to make the transactions easier on the goblins, which no human has ever done unless for their own convenience, and actually stood up for the goblins. When these 17 practically ran the Wizengamot, Gringotts and the goblins prospered. On the other hand, these 17 are the most dangerous beings that have practically ever existed. They all excel in wandless magic, sometimes tending to wield a wand in one hand and use the other for wandless magic, they can wield any weapon they desire effortlessly, they have enough political sway to rule this country, and if desired, the world, apparently death cannot stop them, they have ancient deities on their side, their morals are few, with the main theme don't hurt loved ones and innocents, they have no qualms with killing, and were trained by the best assassins in the world. In reality, the perfect people to get rid of Voldemort's dark stain on society. "I want to pay 50 gallons for each death eater you kill. Think of it as a hit contract from Gringotts if you will."

"I mentioned, when she brought this up to me, that we get to take the books from their vaults as well." The teens' eyes light up at that. "We don't need the money, and artifacts should probably stay with Gringotts unless they absolutely refuse to keep them, especially anything goblin made."

"In all honesty, we wouldn't even need to remove the books. Each family we come in contact with, we could create a grimoire with copies. Well, we could still put the actual books in one of our vaults or libraries and just carry the grimoire around." Louis flicks his baby blue gaze around the gauge their reactions, just bouncing the idea off of them.

"That actually makes sense." Alex nods, her crimson hair swinging, leaning forward some. "It definitely takes up less space and we could even leave the actual copies to the goblins or if they have other, non death muncher, family members."

"If we wanted, do any of you know if we could raid their homes due to ownership of conquest?" Charlotte asks next.

"It's possible, though I am unsure." Her manager, Bloodaxe, answers her with a malicious grin which she returns.

"We are planning on taking them out anyways, why do you want to offer us money to do so?" Jay asks Madam Ironfist with a quirked eyebrow.

"They are a threat to our people and it also protects you from the Ministry. They might try to stop you since many are either sympathizers or Marked."

"If we agree, can you place it in a separate vault so we can split it between us once they're all buried, alongside the books?" Anthony looks at his manager with his question as the goblin with the contracts returns.

"That would be agreeable." Hookblade nods at the Italian and Madam Ironfist passes the old contracts around for renewal and begins to draw up a new one for the hits. Nisi reads it over, splits her finger with the quill tip, allowing it to soak up some of the blood, and signs it. One of the goblins gasp, staring at her finger.

" _Her blood. It’s- it’s gold!"_

" _He's new."_ Marylin motions to her vault manager, her humor causing the pink between two rings of brown in her eyes to flash.

_"I noticed."_ Nisi snorts, a half smile gracing her face.

_"Now now Ladies. Be nice."_ Al wags his finger at the two.

_"Them? Nice? As if."_ Blane rolls his dark brown, nearly black, eyes, complete with sticking out his tongue at the girls sneers.

_"Alright how are we going to deal with this."_ Charlotte taps her fingers on the table, gaining everyone's attention.

**_"Maybe we should shift our accounts to those who already know us?"_ ** Quinn switches to another language without really thinking, her emerald green eyes narrowed in concentration.

**_"We could, I suppose, convince them to switch vaults around. Maybe one of our goblins could swap accounts that match our account value with the newbies. That way we deal with those already used to our oddities."_ ** Josh gives a languid shrug.

**_"Especially since the newbies are staring at us like we're planning to kill them since they can't understand us."_ ** Leaning back in his chair, Anthony decides to point out without even looking across the table.

**_"If they knew just how well we can read them, they'd be furious with themselves, particularly that one that spoke up first."_ ** Jake rolls his eyes, his lips threatening to twitch into a smile.

**_"So what? Are we going to ask them, see if they're willing? We don't want to insult the newbies, but we really need someone who can keep up and will not question us at every turn."_ ** Nisi questions, looking for everyones opinion on the matter.

**_"I think it's worth it. If anything we could see if they would be opposed to studying under ours, see how things run, and maybe give them back once they actually understand."_ ** Shrugging one shoulder, Akil replies easily.

**_"Loathe as I am to admit it, ours unfortunately aren't getting any younger."_ ** Ali throws in, liking Akil’s idea. Her black eyes shrewdly studying the goblins around the table.

**_"We'll ask then?"_ ** Louis asks, his head resting on his hand, elbows propped up on the table, his hand deep in his curly brown hair.

**_"Who should bring it up?"_ ** Monifa brings up, not wanting to do it herself. Her curly cinnamon hair and honey eyes stand in stark contrast to her dark skin.

**_"Nisi. She's the best with them."_ **  Kana motions to the blonde with a flick of her wrist.

**_"Alright. I will, but later."_ ** Nisi groans and waves the others to continue normally.

"So here's the contracts." Josh passes the papers to Ragnok.

"Did you guys get the wallets and cards? List of properties?"

"Yes mother." Al sneers at Nisi, before cracking a smile.

"Where are we staying tonight?" Monifa leans on Ali’s shoulder, pushing the older girl’s sleek black hair to the other side with a small yawn.

"Well. Diane and Liam still aren't home and i don't know if the other houses are in good shape or even occupied." Nisi shrugs.

"We can't stay there forever right? Don't they still own it?" Mia's eyebrows furrow over eyes that shift between different shades of blue.

"I asked Madam Ironfist if I could buy it from them. Since they're not home and I still live there we should be fine, for now at least."

"You've fallen in love with it." Akil flicks mahogany hair out of his face with his statement.

"It's gorgeous and I've managed to remodel several rooms to my own liking. Of course I love it." She scoffs.

"Is there anything else you need from us?" Ragnok speaks up as the teens are about to continue as they normally would. Josh smiles sheepishly at him.

"Can we go ahead and go through the Lestrange vault and Dolohov's? Nisi we'll meet you at the house." He nods at his twin and the other teens get up and leave, escorted by their managers.

**_"Guys. Voldie made Horcruxes. If you run into one in the vaults, take it."_ ** They all nod at her.

"Alright, what was that about?" The female goblin warrior slash banker turns to the female teen.

"They brought up a point that I see some merit to." She sighs through her nose and runs a hand over her hair, pushing loose strands out of her face. "They are concerned that those that took over their accounts won't be able to deal with our oddities, won't be able to keep up, question us at every turn. Just the ones that have never dealt with us. We don't want to insult them though, we really don't, they seem to be excellent people. We eventually came up with an idea, but only if you're interested. Is it possible for them to train under those who know us in order to see how we operate and work together? Ali pointed out that you guys aren't getting any younger." Her lips twitch at that, fighting the urge to smile at the goblin.

"I see the profit in that."

"And before the idea of the tutelage came up, someone suggested maybe switching account around so that ours have our accounts and the newbies get an account of equal value.”

"We could add all of the accounts up and it still would not equal one of yours." Nisi winces.

"I was afraid of that."

"The tutelage is an excellent idea. One of us will help the newbies as you called them, during the interactions so they can understand how we work together." Sirens start to blare making both women jump to their feet and run out of the room. Ironfist grabs a guard running by.

" _What is it?"_ She snarls.

" _Some human just cast magic in one of the old vaults."_

_"Which vault?"_

_"Lestrange."_ Madam Ironfist glances at Nisi and takes off, Nisi at her heels. They reach the vault just as a dragon lets loose a blast of fire and a goblin grabs a set of clankers.

" _Madam, may I?_ " She nods and Nisi runs up and grabs the clankers away from the goblin.

" _Let her by_!" At Ironfist's yell, the other goblin backs away. It gets quiet when Nisi starts to speak, except the goblins only hear hissing.

_§Shh, everything is fine, you're going to be okay. Relax Miss. Hey, it's okay.§_ Nisi keeps her voice low and soothing, not wanting to enrage the dragon.

_§A speaker?§_

_§Yes Miss. I speak the tongue of the serpent.§_

_§What do you want?§_

_§Simply to pass. My family is inside.§_

_§Those noises, they hurt.§_

_§I will stop them.§_

_§You swear?§_  

_§I swear Great Lady. Can you see?§_

  
_§No.§_ Well hells bells.  

_§Do you want me to get a healer? One of my family is a healer. He will not hurt you.§_  

_§Human healer?§_  

_§No, Dragon and other Magical beings.§_

_§Okay, I will let you pass if you bring this healer.§_  

  
_§Of course miss. Thank you.§_ Nisi bows towards the white dragon before turning to Madam Ironfist, her face set. “ _It's safe as long as no one uses those clankers. Come on."_ She moves to the vault door and waits for the goblin to come and open it. Inside they can see Ragnok and Bonecrusher arguing with another goblin, the new manager of the Vela account, Marylin's account. Marylin, Jake, and Josh are standing in the middle of the vault, a wide circle void of gold around them. "What happened?" Marylin looks up at her, brown eyes flashing, pink undercurrents becoming visible. 

"The gold had multiplying and burning charms on them. I lost my temper and sent a burst of energy to destroy the charms. It sent off the alarms but we found this." She motions to the golden cup on Josh's hands. Ironfist is arguing with the other three goblins in hushed tones, trusting the teens behind her.

"What is it?"

"Horcrux." Josh answers his twin as she approaches.

"That certainly makes this easier." She mutters. "Jake, that Ironbelly outside is going blind, can you go see what you can do. I told her you would."

"Of course, she's a beauty." He leaves quietly, nodding at the goblins that he passes.

"We need to take this with us."

"I agree, are you two hurt?"

"No I healed us." Marylin shakes her head brown and honey ombre hair swinging with the movement.

"Alright, Josh can you take that to Ironfist and explain that we need it? Lin and I can get the books."

"On it."

"Well today has certainly been interesting." Marylin's giggles echo around the vault at Nisi's bland tone.

 

* * *

 

 

"Fuck." Nisi groans falling into the pit of pillows they made in one of the rooms. "I'm exhausted." Anthony pulls her into his side and snuggles into her.

"What are we going to do with the cup?" Quinn's voice come out of the pile of blankets curled up beside Jay. Jay places his cheek on her head with a soft grin, his arms pulling her closer.

"If we use legilimency on it, we can find what the others are and where." Josh yawns, snuggling deeper into the pillows.

“Alright. Let’s do that then go to sleep.” Blane mutters, eyes fluttering shut. Alex lifts a hand up and summons the cup, making it fly smoothly into her open palm.

“ _Legilimens_.” She mumbles before going still. After a moment she blinks and looks around the pit, rubbing her eyes. “We’ve got a snake that stays by Voldie’s side, a ring in the old Gaunt house, a locket that is in that Black Family home in London, can’t say the address, Ravenclaw’s diadem in the Room of requirements, and the last one is stuck on that Harry kid’s scar.”

“Can we deal with them tomorrow? I sleepy.” Kana slurs from the other side of Nisi.

 

* * *

 

 

“Yeah sweetie, go to sleep.” Akil runs his fingers through her hair, a small smile lifting up the corners of his mouth.

Charlotte, Jake, Akil, Al, Blane, and Marylin stare at the dilapidated house.

“Well, what exactly are we going up against?” Blane watches Akil cast a few more spells.

“Just thank every deity you like that Jake is with us.”

“Why?” Jake drawls, looking at the house in disgust.

“It’s got this distinct snakey vibe.” Akil grins at his discomfort.

“Parselmagic you jerk.” The tension eases as they jokingly toss insults at each other and Akil breaks the curses and wards, directing Jake for the Parseltongue based ones. They enter the house, wariness setting in as they glance around.

“This place is gross.” Charlotte wrinkles her nose and Marylin hums her agreement. Al trips, shattering the uneasy silence as Akil catches him. Blane scuffs his shoe against the indention, noticing that it was more even than the rest of the room.

“Congratulations Madangopal. You found it.”

“Don’t call me Madangopal.” He grumbles, pouting at the older teen who just smirks at him. As Akil opens it, Jake's thoughts begin revolving around seeing his mother again, a woman dead for nearly 50 years now. He doesn’t realize he’s reaching for the ring cradled in the hole, until Charlotte places him under a full body bind, frowning in concern.

“There’s another curse on it.” Akil starts to mutter under his breath until a flash of light blinds them momentarily and Jake relaxes again. “Desire and Rot. That stone is the Resurrection Stone, which makes sense why it affected Jake as it did. The Rot would’ve been incurable, eventually killing anyone that touched it.”

“Feel better?” Marylin asks, waving a quick identifier spell over him.

“Yeah. Thanks love, for stopping me.” He gives Charlotte a chaste kiss, making his girlfriend smile at him, worry draining away. “Let’s check on the others.”

 

* * *

 

 

“We’re breaking into Hogwarts.” Ali mutters unbelievingly. “This is actually happening.”

“It’ll be fine. So are we using Honeydukes or the Shack?” Louis reassures her before looking to Josh.

“Honeydukes. The Shack leads outside and anyone still here could just look out and see us.” He runs a hand through his hair and bends the light around him, disappearing from view. Mia, Ali, Monifa, and Louis follow suit. They slip by the workers and move into the storage space, finding the trapdoor and silencing it before slipping in. Reaching the other end, Monifa casts a 3D map of the castle, finding the floor they’re on. They have to wait a few moments as students pass by but as soon as it’s clear, they begin the passage up to the third floor, making sure to keep the light bent so the portraits can’t see them. They’re almost to the door when a noise makes them freeze.

“Shit. Josh, do you think he’ll still listen to you?” Mia hisses at her lover who shrugs helplessly as an orange eyed poltergeist swoops by.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s just us Peeves.” Josh says as they drop the charms, becoming visible. Peeves lowers to the ground to look Josh in the eye.

“You’re alive.” He breathes making Josh beam.

"So is Nisi." Peeves squeals at that and does a quick loop.

"Where is she?"

"Getting something else that will help kill Voldie Moldie."

"Did you guys break in?"

"Are you going to tell on us?" Josh's voice adopts a teasing lit.

"Depends. What are you here for?"

"A soul jar."

"Can I come with?"

"Sure." Josh nods and the other let out a sigh of relief. Louis moves forward and paces three times in front of a blank space of wall. A wooden door appears and they enter quickly, the door disappearing moments before a gaggle of students round the corner. A thought from Ali has a path illuminated by soft lights. She goes first, a quiet "come on," has the others following right behind. The lights stop at a bust of an old man in a wig, a diadem set precariously on top.

"Bingo." Monifa murmurs, reaching for it. Mia's fingers encircle her wrist, pulling her away. "That's the diadem of Ravenclaw Summers, let me go."

"If you put that on your head you will die!" She hisses as Josh slips it into his bag while the others are distracted. He nods at Mia who lets the other girl go. "Now we just need to get out."

"Sorry." Monifa sheepishly rubs the back of her neck.

"It's fine. Let's go." Josh grins and heads to the door. Peeves floats beside him.

"Which passage did you use?"

"The one eyed witch."

"I'll give you guys a clear path. Give the Queen my regards."

"We will. I'll make sure Nisi comes and sees you soon." The poltergeist gives each a kiss on the cheek and shoots off.

"Well, that wasn't too bad." Ali deadpans making the others laugh.

 

* * *

 

 

A shrunken, blue-silvery dragon stalks past the wards and makes its way inside the house looking for its target. It moves room to room, dampening its glow to avoid the humans. It reaches a room holding a man in his 30's and his godson. They freeze and stare at the dragon as it enters the room. The Patronus opens his mouth and a smokey voice fills the room.

"Hey Sirius right? It's Synkínisi. I'm standing outside your house. Can you let me in? We really need to talk." When the dragon closes his mouth, he just stares at the two humans, waiting.

"Are you going to let her?" Harry ask quietly.

"Yeah come on." The two head outside and pause at the six teens standing on the sidewalk. Sirius passes through the wards and Nisi smiles when he comes into view.

"We didn't introduce everyone last time." Nisi motions to the five beside her. "Anthony, Kana, Quinn, Jay, and Alex."

"Hello. How did you find this house?"

"We knew where it was before the Fidelius Charm went up." Kana shrugs off the question.

"Okay... Why do you guys want in?"

"Do you know what a horcrux is?" At Quinn's question, Sirius pales dramatically. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Tom Riddle's is in there." Jay motions in the general direction of the house.

"Guys." Alex nudges Anthony, her voice soft.

"We know." He assures her, a sad smile gracing his mouth.

"Know what?" Sirius looks between the teens quickly. Nisi sighs and rubs a hand over her face.

"There's two horcruxes here. A locket and his scar." Her hand flicks towards Harry, who's jaw drops in fear. "But we can move it to another object so we can destroy it."

"Sirius Black lives at number 12 Grimmauld Place."

"Aw how cute." Nisi teases the man as the depressing house comes into view. He glares at her as she saunters up to the door. Anthony pats him on the shoulder and follows his lover. Kana starts violently when shrieks echo from inside the house.

"That would be my mother." Sirius sighs and Harry winces when another voice joins in.

"And Mrs. Weasley."

"We should go in before Nisi and Anthony lose their tempers." Jay grins and heads inside, the others following closely.

"Who are you?!" "Oh my house. Filth and Mud ruining my house!" "How did you even get in here?!" "BLOODTRAITORS!"

"Alright." Nisi doesn't yell, but her voice is heard in every corner of the house. "You two, shut up." Everyone stares when the portrait of Sirius's mother goes quiet.

"Oh. Now she recognizes us." Anthony grumbles loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You're - you're dead." Walburga whispers, pale in fear.

"Death's boring." Anthony drawls as Nisi smirks.

"Besides I need to raid your house." Nisi shrugs before walking away.

"You kept her up?" Kana quirks an eyebrow at Sirius.

"Permanent sticking charm." He mumbles, looking away from the small Japanese girl. Quinn tries to hold in her laughter but it escapes in snorts. "What?"

"That's it?" He nods in confusion. "Alex, can you go and tell Nisi and Tony we're going to be a little late? Take Harry with you. If he's willing at least." Her emerald green eyes pierce Harry's, daring him to chicken out.

"Yeah, I'll go."

"After you Kana dear."

"But it was your idea sweetie." Jay chuckles as the two girls go back and forth, and the others stare at him.

"They do this a lot. They're a beater team. You'd never think it, looking at Kana, but damn, does that chick have a swing."

"She's a girl." The lanky redhead from the Ministry looks at him like he's crazy.

"What's your name kid?"

"Ron Weasley."

"Well Ron, Kana can break your jaw with a single punch." There's a loud bang when the two girls hit the picture with a spell. She starts yelling out random words. Jay recognizes them as spells when both Sirius and Quinn recoil quickly. Two jaguars created from fire snarl and move forward, one decimating the portrait, the other attacking the house elf heads on the wall. A layer of magic covers the living beings in the hallway, keeping the heat and fire off of them. The fire dies away when Nisi and Anthony run back into the hallway, Alex and Harry right behind them. At their intense gaze, Jay and Kana shrug and motion to Quinn who, while no longer frozen in panic, is still rather pale and sports a slight tremble.

“You could have killed us!” Mrs. Weasley shrieks at the teens, her face going red.

“Nonsense.” Nisi scoffs at the woman. “To begin with, you have no idea why they reacted like that. Second, both Kana and Jay have no problems with controlling fiendyfire. Third, the moment Quinn felt them lose their tempers and react, she placed an impenetrable shield around each and every one of you. Lastly, when we felt their magic swell, we moved back down here as quick as we could, and if, for some godsforsaken reason they couldn’t react to cut it off, we would have."

"Anyways, Sirius, we moved the one into another container and are taking both home with us. Thank you for allowing us to come in and deal with them." Anthony nods at him as Alex moves to Quinn's side, intertwining their fingers and gently tugging her out of the house, Jay on her other side.

"Maybe later, once everything calms down, we can have a pickup game of quidditch." Kana nudges Nisi with a hip, a light pleading edge to her voice.

"Sounds good, if the Weasleys don't back out beforehand." Nisi intentionally questions the family of Gryffindors backbone, annoyed at the mother's lack of respect.

"We'll be there."

"Just tell us when." She glances over her shoulder to study the redhead twins that rose to the challenge.

"We will."

Nisi is leaning forward, cursing at the screen when Mia walks into the room.

“How long have you been playing?”

“Since Anthony fell asleep.” Nisi answers her, leaning as she attempts to get her person out of a horde of zombies.

“Which one is this?”

“Black ops 3.”

“What is that?” Mia asks, watching the screen and this huge thing advances on her friend.

“I dunno, a boss thingy, fuck, that continuously kills me.” Nisi leans back, sighing heavily. “Wanna play? Maybe we can get past round eight.”

“Sure.” Mia grins, pulling her sun streaked brown hair up into a bun. “So why are you still up at 5 in the morning on Christmas day?” She sits beside the blonde, her feet lading in the other’s lap, making Nisi grin as she passes over a controller.

“Couldn't sleep. Everything, it's all jostling around my head, overwhelming memories and thoughts and feeling. I can't get it to stop.”

“Well, let's kill the undead.” A couple hours pass amidst cursing from both girls until it's a little past eight, the sun is well up, and others start trickling into the room, controllers being passed around between them, four now instead of two.

Nisi enters Grimmauld Place with Jay as soon as it's empty due to Christmas break ending today.

"So we're sneaking into the home to help the house elf?"

"I think this might make him more tolerable." Nisi shrugs languidly.

"Alright. I trust you."

"Aw thanks." She smirks, making him give her a slight shove.

"Intruders?"

"Hello Kreacher. My name is Lady Barron."

"You took Master Regulus' locket."

"I did, but we brought it back. We thought you would want to do the honors of destroying it." She crouches down and holds out the golden locket to the house elf.

"Kreacher gets to destroy it?"

"Yes." Jay nods from behind Nisi. Kreacher starts heaving ugly sobs, tears pouring down his snout like nose.

"On one condition." Nisi pulls back a little. "I need you to be less offensive and unhelpful to Sirius, Remus, Harry, Ginny, and the twins. I could care less about the rest of them."

"Kreacher can do that." He nods slowly after thinking about it for a moment.

"Thank you." She says, handing the locket over. Kreacher immediately makes it explode, and dances with joy as it actually is destroyed.

"Keep our deal in mind Kreacher."

"Kreacher will Lady, Kreacher promises."

"Awesome. And can you keep this a secret? I don't need Sirius or anyone knowing we can get in here whenever we want."

"Kreacher can do that too, Lady."

“Great. Bye Kreacher. "

"Later Kreacher." Jay nods at the little elf who waves at both of them.

Nisi wakes up at five, determined to actually be awake for the start of Anthony's birthday. She slips quietly out of the room with clothes and her toothbrush, moves into the other wing of Barron Castle, and takes a shower in one of the empty guest rooms. Not bothering to dry her hair, she tosses it up into a messy bun, a few strands escaping near her face, and heads down to the kitchen. She starts singing under her breath, pulling out an old recipe book and flipping to the Italian Rum cake. Pulling out a couple bowls, a spatula, an electric beater, and the ingredients, she sets it all on the kitchen island then starts a pot of coffee. She makes the Italian cream and chocolate creme first, intending to allow it to chill normally, and burns her finger slightly with scalding the milk, curse words softly interrupting her singing. She whips up the whip cream next, adding some corn syrup and Goldendrop Creme di Limoncello, a type of Italian cream liqueur, taking a sip to offset what only three hours of sleep is doing to her, and starts mixing the cakes up. The original recipe is only for two 8 or 9 inch cake but since there's 17 of them, and they're all 18 to 20 in age, she doubles it into two 20 inch. It's about 9:30 when she finishes frosting the Italian rum soaked cake and places several cut up strawberries around the top, then coats the sides in sliced, blanched almonds. The others love when she makes them because she doesn't use ice cold water at the end, but cold Amaretto di Amore Classico. Josh enters and takes in the scene, his twin licking the last remnants of the whip cream from one of the beaters.

"I want the other." She wordlessly hands it over, a small grin in place. "Mmm. The Goldendrop?"

"Yup."

"Its giant."

"I tried." She drawls, smirking, and puts the cake on the table and places it under cooling charms and one to make the air a few inches away impenetrable. She returns and finds Josh making cinnamon rolls. Grinning, she flicks her wrist and sets her dishes to washing. Nisi hops up on the counter, watching him mix the dough by hand. He hops up beside her after he pops the 34 rolls into the oven and makes the icing.

"When d'you get up?"

"Five." He laughs at her, knowing she hates mornings.

"You definitely love him."

"Oh shut up, I do this for all of you. Well, not you, all of them. Your prize for sharing my birthday." They both laugh at his mock look of outrage. That's how the others find the two twenty minutes later, propped against each other, laughing at something one of them had said.

"Now, what is going on here?" Louis asks, tapping his chin with his finger.

"Food." Nisi replies, sliding down as the oven beeps.

"Two for everyone." Josh says as he gets down also, grabbing plates for everyone and a spoon for the icing. Nisi plates them and he icings before passing them out. Nisi stretches up on her toes and kisses Anthony.

"Happy birthday, love." He smiles and returns the kiss.

"When did you get up?" She waves off the question and slides into an empty chair round the island.

"A little bit ago." Josh snorts at her answer.

"Five."

"Bite me." She sneers at her brother, motioning for Anthony to sit beside her.

"Why would you get up that early?"

"Oh my gods. You made cake, didn't you?" Mia asks quickly, leaning towards her. Nisi nods and takes a sip of her fourth cup of coffee, the last of the Italian rum mixed in. Her werewolf metabolism makes it near impossible for her to get drunk. Cheering echoes around the table.

"How much did you make?" Jake asks, smiling just like everyone else at the table.

"We could have a slice now. And one at dinner. And maybe one tomorrow. We each get around eight slices actually."

"Can we see it?" Al's eyes are wide and his voice awed.

"Sure. I need to buy more Rum and Goldendrop." She muses as she snaps her fingers, calling the cake gently to her.

"Thank you. I love it." Anthony murmurs in her ear, drawing her close. She beams in response.


	2. Kidnapping and New Allies

17 tiny runes give off a dull flash as 17 figures in black body suits, black cloaks with the hoods up, casting shadows on their cartoon-like, smirking animal masks, slip through several wards that surround the white manor.

“They still work Jaguar.”

“Of course it does Crocodile.” The vivid purple jaguar’s voice is slightly mangled, making it sound like it could be either a man or woman.

“All targets present?” A powder blue roc asks from up front, turning slightly to look at the others.

“All three Malfoys, the two Lestrange brothers, Pettigrew, Greyback, and Yaxley. Riddle and Snape are at Riddle Manor until six.” The orange tawny owl joins the roc quietly, the others moving too.

“Alright, we have around 30 minutes.” A lime green cobra reminds them as they move towards the Manor.

“I want Greyback.” The Jaguar growls and the others nod in agreement. When they reach a blank stretch of wall, the figure in the black hellhound mask waves a hand, the plan not allowing them to use wand or anything that can be traced to them, and transfigures the wall into a pebble.

“Have we decided what to do with the youngest Malfoy?” A silver Coyote asks after slipping in the opening.

“Wolverine wasn’t there something you wanted to do with him?” A crimson fox turns its nose towards the pink Wolverine.

“He’s not guilty of being anything but a bully and a prat. Knock him out, deage him, give him to his aunt. Bat has the potion.”

“Initiating radio silence, move.” Wolf holds up two fingers and it goes silent immediately. stalking forward, the group spreads out across the hall. A wave from Tiger has the portraits freezing, unable to move, see, or hear. Footstep begin to echo down the hall and they fade from view, waiting for their first victim to come into reach. Fenrir Greyback rounds the corner and 17 identical malicious grin twist the features under the masks. They don’t react until he’s in the middle of the group, making him snarl and crouch as they fade into view. Jaguar clasps a thinly gloved hand over the werewolf’s mouth before he can scream.

“Now now now,” Jaguar tuts. “Don’t ruin our fun.” His eyes flicker around the smirking masks as they drag him into a nearby room. A flick of the yellow Phoenix’s wrist silences the walls and flick of Viper’s has the walls see through on their side, allowing them to see anyone approaching. Jaguar raises a splayed hand causing Greyback to lift in the air, eagle spread, foaming at the mouth at the intruders. The same masked figure creating a fist makes him scream as his bones shatter, and the reopening of Jaguar’s hand forces the shards to start wiggling and moving, trying to find their way out of his body. His screaming continues and becomes more animalistic, less human, as the pieces pierce organs and skin on the way out. They watch as the last shard exits and wait as he bleeds out.

“One down, seven to go.” Lynx mutters as Greyback takes his last breath. Anaconda nods and moves out of the room first. The group fades from view again, once more spreading out across the hall. They come up to a cracked door and a glance in shows Lucius and Rodolphus talking over a mahogany desk. Coyote sets up an illusion on the door and sets a mild redirection charm on the two death eaters. Coyote, Anaconda, Viper, and Lynx slip into the room, and the others move on. Lynx and Coyote slip behind Lucius as Viper and Anaconda move behind Rodolphus. Tangling a hand in platinum hair, Lynx yanks Lucius' head back giving Coyote access to his neck, blood spurting out as the knife easily slides across it. Before Rodolphus can react, Anaconda wraps an arm around his neck and Viper covers his mouth and holds his nose. He slowly stops fighting and the moment he goes limp, Viper snaps his neck. Leaving the room, the four layer confundus charms and repelling charms on the door before moving to catch up with the others. In another hallway, Lion and Tiger stalk Peter Pettigrew. Lion runs ahead, stopping a few feet in front of Pettigrew, and after Tiger freezes the portraits, drops the spells that rendered the intruders invisible. Pettigrew squeaks and turns to run only to come face to face with Tiger's smirking mask.

"Where you going?"

"Don't you want to play?" Pettigrew stares at the aquamarine tiger mask in fear before looking at the burgundy lion mask like he's debating which one he has a better chance with. Then he starts screaming.

"No one can hear you." Lion says over the noise.

"Is the little mousey scared of two big bad kitties?" Tiger asks, stalking forward. He loses control over his bladder making the two figures wrinkle their noses under the masks. They draw their swords and as Pettigrew spins at the sound, they flick the blades up, separating his arms from his body. His sobbing screams cut off in gurgles when the swords pierce his chest, Lion's in his back, Tiger's the front.

"Gryffindor rat is dead." Tiger announces into the microphone earring in everyone's left ear, one of them disappointed that it replaced the normal dragon claw that hung there.

"Lovely." Jaguar's voice crackles over the radio, joy seeping into the tone.

"So is Rudolph and Lucy." Coyote cuts in next.

"Good. The last Lestrange, Narcissa, Yaxley, and Draco. Bat, Wolverine, have you found the kid?" Wolf comes over next.

"Closing in on his room now." Wolverine replies easily before they all go silent and move again. Next to Draco's room, Wolverine places silencing charms and repelling charms before nodding at Bat, who shoulders the door open with a bang and storms the teen laying in bed. Draco goes to get up but Wolverine hits him with a body bind and watches Bat dose him with a potion. Draco starts to shrink until there's a little four year old in robes that are now too big. Bat shrinks the clothes and transfigures them into soft sweat pants and a tee shirt before passing the deaged teen to Wolverine who notes the bruises that showed up when the kid reverted back to his four year old self. As the three leave the room Draco reaches up and attempts to tug on Wolverine's mask.

"No no no. Don't do that. I need this to stay on, okay?"

"Who are you?"

"Friends Draco." Bat answers, checking around a corner. "We're friends."

"Okay." The little kid giggles and hangs on tightly to Wolverine, who grins under the mask. Wolf, Cobra, Crocodile, and Phoenix sneak into a war room and find Yaxley pouring over a map. Cobra stubs a toe on a suit of armor, sending it crashing to the ground and is forced to dive as a Killing curse is fired off. Dropping the spells rendering Cobra invisible, the masked figure returns fire, knowing the other will stay out of the way. A cutting curse slips by and opens a gash on Cobra's stomach. Simultaneously, three cutting curses hit Yaxley, one to the neck, beheading him and two to the chest.

"Wolverine, Cobra is hit." Crocodile snarls through the radio.

"Small cut to my stomach. It already stopped bleeding." Cobra waves off the bronze Crocodile and sets up repelling charms on the door, copying the map on the desk, sliding it into the bag attached to a hip. "Yaxley is down." During their duel, Fox, Owl, and Roc enter the sitting room where Narcissa is sipping on a cup of tea. Fox drops the invisibility spell and sits across from the woman, hitting her with a muscles freezing spell.

"Your husband it dead." Fox' voice is calm and clear, while unbeknownst to Narcissa, Owl is attaching a rope to the ceiling, Roc holding the noose on the other end.

"You're lying."

"Am I?" Fox's head tilts to the side, watching the woman.

"Who are you?"

"Fox." The androgynous voice replies. Behind the Lady Malfoy, Owl brushes up against Roc, giving the signal. Approaching the woman from behind Roc slips the noose over her head making her panic and start screaming. Fox removes the freezing spell as Owl pulls on the rope, hoisting the woman up into the air, her feet barely missing the floor.

"Wolverine, Cobra is hit." Crocodile's voice has two pausing and Fox grabbing the hanging woman's shoulders, pushing them down to the ground. Narcissa's choking becomes more violent as Fox increases the pressure. Eventually the struggling stops, and the woman swings slightly as the three leave the room, Roc taking a glance at the time.

"Ten minutes left. Who’s left?"

"The last Lestrange. Jaguar and I have him." Hellhound responds quietly catching sight of the last target. Jaguar looks over, the smirk copied inside the mask as well. The target spins around, staring down the hallway and the two freeze. Rabastan starts sending blasting curses in their general direction, forcing them to separate. Jaguar moves first trying to get behind the crazy Death Eater, and when in position, launches at him, wrapping legs around him to pin his arms to his sides. Hellhound rushes forward and shoves a hand under his sternum and up to grab his heart as Jaguar grips Lestrange's top set of teeth and pulls, taking off most of his head, only leaving the bottom jaw. Both assassins are sprayed with blood and gore, and completely satisfied with themselves.

"Lestrange's dead." Hellhound allows the satisfaction to show.

"We have two minutes." Owl reminds them quickly.

"Meet up. Wolverine, I wouldn't let the little one see us, Hellhound and I are kinda messy."

"We'll leave from here and um Jaguar, I want to keep the kid."

"What?"

"Bruises showed up during the process, lots of them."

"Are you telling me that precious little Malfoy was abused?"

"Yes."

"Alright Wolverine, if you feel it's necessary. Crocodile, shred the wards."

"Ooh fun." Wolverine and Bat slip into a set of shadows, Wolverine clutching Draco tightly as they disappear. The others begin sprinting to the kitchen and once everyone is in place, Wolf shoots a spell above their heads, then they pull the shadows around them, disappearing just as Bat and Wolverine did, moments before Tom Riddle realizes the state the wards are in and sees the cartoon Wolf face floating above the house. The group of 15 dark people materializes in a castle in the process of being remodeled in the Irish countryside.

"Everyone good?" Josh pulls off a gold Wolf mask, glancing around. Mia stretches, her yellow Phoenix mask following his.

"Good here, Lucy and Rudolph didn't have time to react." Charlotte replies, her lilac Viper mask in her hand. Kana takes off the silver Coyote one nodding as Jake with the dark green Anaconda, and Louis with his cyan Lynx copy her.

"Narcissa was hung." Alex tosses back her hood, flaming red hair blending into the crimson Fox mask. Monifa blinks rapidly after she removes her orange Owl mask. Ali, under the powder blue Roc mask, follows suit, glaring at the sun through a window.

"Pettigrew stabbed." The Tiger mask is pushed up revealing Quinn, and Jay tugs the Lion one off right after. "Marylin and Blane got Draco just fine."

"Well I took Rabastan's heart." Anthony shrugs, stripping off the gore covered Hellhound mask. Nisi doing the same with her Jaguar one.

"I took the top half of his head."

"Well that's one way of doing it." Blane pops in, starting a pile of mask with his dark blue Bat and Marylin's Wolverine.

"I need a shower." Nisi yawns after grinning at the Russian, beginning to crash, and walks away, balling her cloak up to keep the blood off the floor.

* * *

 

Sirius enters the living room through the fireplace, Remus and Harry behind him. Nisi looks over at them from the couch where she's curled up beside Anthony.

"Hey. What's up guys?" She murmurs, stretching a little.

"Have you guys read the prophet today?"

"Nope."

"The Malfoys, Lestranges, Pettigrew, Greyback, and Yaxley are all dead. Murdered at Malfoy Manor." Nisi's eyes widen, looking completely shocked.

"You're kidding. Who did it?"

"You didn't?" Harry asks her, eyes narrowing.

"I don't know if I like that assumption or not." She glares at the younger boy, daring him to accuse her of it again.

"We thought you might have done it yes." Sirius is the one who nods at her. "You did kill Bellatrix and break Voldemort's face."

"That was heat of the moment, in the middle of a battle. Whatever happened at that Manor sounds like cold blooded, planned out, murder. There is a difference."

"She's not lying." Remus shrugs, making Sirius nod and Harry smile apologetically at Nisi. After she gives them a reassuring smile, the three leave through the Floo, waving as they go.

"Do they realize you never denied killing them?" Anthony smirks, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Of course not. How much longer until they get home?"

"10 minutes." The door flies open and a little four year old runs in, only to be swept up and thrown into the air. Draco squeals when Nisi catches him.

"Well hello little Liveloúla." Nisi winks at the giggly boy.

"Lin said we can make cookies. Can we?"

"Well, if Lin said so, then definitely." Nisi shifts him onto her hip and heads to the kitchen, Anthony and Marylin trailing behind.

"Have you decided when to age him back?"

"When he starts to show signs that what we've done has changed him for the better." She sighs, curling a strand of hair around her finger.

"You don't want to."

"I just. Fuck, no I don't want to. I want to keep him." Anthony rubs her back, until she starts to cry softly. He pulls her into a hug and runs a hand through her hair.

"It's okay. Relax. It won't be anytime soon.  You have plenty of time."

"Nisi, I think Lin is crying." Draco whispers, looking back at the two teens.

"She's alright. Just feels like you're going to grow up too fast and want to leave." Draco's silver gray eyes widen.

"I don’t want to leave. I am never going to leave." He clings to Nisi and looks determined back at Marylin who smiles at him.

"Well that settles it. Now, cookies?" At the enthusiastic nod, they start moving to the kitchen again. Half an hour later, Blane enters the kitchen and finds all four coated in flour, eating out of a blue bowl.

"What is going on here?"

"We had to make an extra batch of cookie dough in order to actually make cookies. Turns out Draco is just like Nisi. Neither one able to resist eating it raw." Blane laughs as Nisi and Draco pout before sticking their tongues out at Anthony.

"And the flour?"

"They started a war when we tried to take it from them." Marylin responds before bouncing over and kissing him, making sure to get as much flour on him as possible. When she pulls back, Draco starts laughing, Nisi joining in. A glance at Anthony shows Blane that he's smirking.

"Did you just wipe flour on me?"

"Yup." Blane playfully growls before picking up the girl and tossing her over his shoulder. She starts to squeal and squirm as he begins tickling the back of her thigh.

"Sorry guys, but Marylin's dirty. She needs a shower real quick.

"That's okay- go ahead." Nisi gasps between laughter. "Make sure- she gets- behind the ears- will you?" Draco presses a small hand to his mouth, trying to stifle his loud peals of laughter even as Nisi collapses to her knees, crying due to the force of her laughter, Anthony not far behind. Al enters as they leave and takes in the scene. At least until the oven beeping distracts him. The others are in no shape to even come near the oven, so he takes it upon himself to take the cookies out.

"What kind did you guys make?"

"Snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, sugar, and Peanut butter." Draco names them, ticking off a finger for each. Al smiles and ruffles the kid's hair before dropping a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"You okay with Blane?"

"Yeah. Jake was right. None of you will hurt each other or me." Nisi sobers immediately, wincing at that reminder. The day after the Malfoy hit, as they've dubbed it, Jake had picked Charlotte up bridal style, making her shriek. Draco had immediately went onto a panic attack and it took both Josh and Nisi to calm him down. "You guys are just... touchy." The three teens smile at the youngest member of the house.

"Alright kid. You need a bath as well." Al picks up the kid under his armpits and sets him on his hip, leaving the other two teens alone.

"Did he just-?" Nisi mutters, startled.

"I think he did."

"Damn. I was not looking forward to cleaning this."

* * *

 

Synkínisi glances around before gently laying her hand on the gates of Hogwarts. A form flickers into existence on the other side.

"You have been gone for awhile."

"Sorry Lady Hogwarts. Death decided to interrupt my life."

"Come in." The gates swing open silently. "I will keep you hidden just as I kept your brother and friends hidden."

"Thank you."

"Who did you desire to see?"

"You, Lady, Peeves, the founders, and the Grey Lady."

"You came to see me?" Hogwarts stops to stare at her.

"Yes Lady." Nisi looks at her confused, eyebrows furrowed. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Most people do not realize I am a sentient being."

"When am I ever most people Lady?" Hogwarts chuckles at that.

"Cheeky brat."

"QUEEN!" Nisi glances up and laughs at the poltergeist swooping towards her.

"Hey Peeves. What's up?"

"Pranking people, you know, the usual." He grins, placing a loud kiss on her cheek.

"If I gave you targets, would you be willing to prank them?"

"Enemies of the Queen?"

"Yup. Lady Hogwarts are you okay with this?"

"If you have actual qualms against them."

"I do." At the level of hatred in the blonde's voice, both beings study her closely.

"Who?" They ask simultaneously.

"Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape."

"The Bloody Baron might try and stop me from Slimey Snape." Peeves says, looking away slyly. She rolls her eyes.

"Bloody Baron." She calls, her smoky voice echoing down the halls, causing both to shiver slightly.

"Ma'am?" The spirit asks, exiting a nearby wall.

"Severus Snape, a Death Eater, is head of the Slytherin House. His influence on our House is distasteful at the least. I want Peeves to make his life a living hell until I can get rid of him. Will this be a problem?" The Baron shakes his head.

"I will not interfere."

"Thank you."

* * *

 

Draco tiptoes out of his room and heads down the hall. He slips inside a room and walks up to the bed, tapping the figure's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Jake mumbles, turning to face the little kid.

"I had a nightmare." He whispers and twists his hands into the sheet covering the 20 year old.

"About what little one?"

"Lucius came by and took me back to the manor. He wasn't happy." Jake pauses at that, then turns the covers down.

"We can't have that now can we? C'mon up you go." He pats the space between him and Charlotte. Draco crawls up and over him, settling into the empty space. "Lucius will never hurt you again. He can never take you from us." Jake reminds him, snuggling the boy between the adults. "Go to sleep little one." Draco nods and soon falls asleep. Charlotte wakes up a few hours later, finding Jake brushes the four year old's hair out of his face with light fingers.

"What happened?"

"He had a nightmare. Lucius took him back to the manor."

"You're attached." It could be taken as an accusation, but he knows it's just an observation.

"Aren't we all?"

* * *

 

Coyote slips into the master bedroom and sneaks up to the bed, Phoenix and Tiger searching the rest of the house for anything of use. Silver mask glinting in the moonlight. Coyote pauses in the middle of the room, rolling her eyes at her thought trail, before slipping her knife out of the thigh sheath, straddling the guy in bed, and stabbing his heart as he reacts to her weight, twisting the blade and leaning forward until his screams turn into gurgles.

"He's dead."

"First floor is clear." Tiger comes over next.

"Third floor is too." Phoenix responds quietly.

"Basement?" Crashing follows Coyote's question, making her and Phoenix freeze and Tiger to curse.

"Ouch. Shit. Fuck. Owwwie. Yeah there's a fucking basement."

"Wait for us." They meet at a bookcase shifted off to the left, Tiger on the ground holding her foot.

"Aren't Cobra and Jaguar our residential clutzes?" Phoenix asks, beginning to head down the stairs.

"Bite me Phoenix." Tiger snarls as she's helped up by the other. "Who the fuck still uses bookcases for hidden entrances?"

"People that don't expect others to trip over them."

"Hardy har har. Hilarious Coyote." She brushes of her cloak, trying not to smear the blood Coyote got on her. Phoenix runs back up the stairs, pushes up her mask, and begins to retch in a corner. "Phoenix?"

"The others need to die more painfully from now on." Her voice is hoarse and hateful. Tiger looks up at Coyote and moves down the stairs, Coyote staying behind, rubbing Phoenix's back. Tiger comes back up, mask up slightly, arm over her mouth. Coyote warily retraces their footsteps, going into a prison like torture room. Bodies are chained up in various states of decay, each with their own set of tools beside them. The stench is unbearable. She stands there for a few more minutes before heading back up to the two.

"C'mon, let's get you two home." Coyote murmurs to the two, casting a spell over her shoulder, down the stairs. Fiendfyre begins to roar and spread as the trio rip the wards and disappear, a Coyote floating above the house. The moment their feet touch the ground of the Barron Castle, Mia rips off the Phoenix mask, Quinn the Tiger. Kana pushes her Coyote one up and yanks off her cloak, balling it up before helping the other two with their own. She shoulders open a door, supporting the other two. "Jay. Jayesh." He sits up and is halfway out of the bed before he's fully awake. "Help me. She's not hurt. Just, fuck Jay, just hold her okay?" He nods and draws Quinn into a hug as Kana sets Mia against a wall before stripping Quinn with Jay's help, and gets her into thick, red, fleece pants and a soft, pink, cotton tank top. Jay moves the girl into the bed, following right behind her, curling around the slightly shivering form as Mia and Kana leave. The duo moves farther down the hall until coming to Mia's room. Kana opens the door and the guy on the bed sits up immediately, waves of tension rolling over her. "Josh." She hisses and the tension releases as he springs up, hand immediately supporting Mia. They both work to strip her and get her into soft pajamas: Lion King fleece pants and one of Josh's tee shirts.

"You could always sleep with Nis and Tony." Josh whispers. She responds with a nod, planning to do just that.

"Night Josh, Mia."

"Night." Josh calls softly over his shoulder, pulling the blankets around him and Mia. On her way down to her room for a shower, a scream echoes out of Draco's room. She burst in, one hand throwing a shield around the four year old, the other ready to send an overpowered stunning curse.

"Sowwy." Draco's voice is quiet and Kana drops her hands and approaches the bed.

"It's okay. What happened?"

"I had a bad dweam. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Oh sweetheart, I was already awake." She brushes his hair out of his face, a sad smile gracing her lips.

"Pwomise?"

"I pwomise." She grins when he wrinkles his nose. "Wanna sleep in my bed tonight?"

"Can I?"

"Of course. C'mon, sleepover time." He slips off of the bed and slips his hand into hers and she is ever so glad she removed her gloves. Reaching her room she picks him up and sets him on the bed. "Give me 10 minutes so I can shower, I'm all sweaty and icky."

"Mkay." He hops up and grabs her silver fleece pants, shoving them into her hands along with a gray tank top, before scrambling up on the bed. Shaking her head, she turns the shower as hot as it can go, strips, and steps in, wincing momentarily at the burn. She scrubs, even though she knows every inch of her skin was covered so nothing could've gotten on her. Remembering the kid sitting on her bed has her getting out instead of staying in for an hour or two. She slides into the bed, Draco immediately draping himself over her torso, falling asleep.

"Mini Nisi. Jeez." She chuckles, snuggling deeper, soon following him into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

"So you're a werewolf?"

"Yeah."

"But since you view us as pack, you won't hurt us?"

"Never."

"Okay. That's cool." Draco shrugs before getting up and sitting in Nisi's lap to hug her tightly. "You're still awesome. Is that why everyone was so tense last night?"

"Yeah they didn't know how I'd react with a new smell."

"And how did you react?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She runs her fingers through his hair as the others watch, noting how the previously judgemental, prejudiced boy snuggles deeper into the werewolf’s lap. Today is their free day, no hits or chores or meetings, so they relax in the living room, talking, joking, laughing, Draco staying with Nisi. About an hour passes before the floo flares to life, Sirius, Remus, Harry, Ron, Hermione, the Weasley twins, and Ginny stepping out. There's a moment of frozen silence until they recognize the little boy in Synkínisi's lap, Ron, Harry, and Hermione drawing their wands. The others react immediately and violently, Nisi flipping over the couch, Draco secure in her arms, Anthony, Kana, Quinn, and Jay shifting into their animagus forms, hellhound, coyote, tiger, and lion, respectively. Nisi has her claws out and her eyes have shifted, one electric blue and one vivid purple, both without a pupil. Josh's have done the same, except liquid gold not purple. The rest have a wand trained on the visitors, energy crackling in their free hand.  The animagi are in front, Draco in the very back, Nisi right in front of him, blocking him with her body. "Lower your wands." The newbies flinch at her snarl.

"That's Malfoy! He's a death eater!" Ron yells, ignoring his impending death.

"Really? Because he looks four to me." Marylin retorts, voice hard. Ron takes a step forward and Kana snaps at him, her teeth catching his pants, knocking him on his ass. She growls and snaps her jaws in his face.

"I wouldn't do that." Charlotte’s tone has a 'fuck you' undercurrent.

"You guys are crazy!" Hermione shrieks, hastily pulling Ron back to his feet.

"Hermione, don't piss off the people that could kill us with a single thought." Fred mutters, him and George slowly stepping away from the group they came with.

"Smart idea." Alex stares the twins down, her pale green eyes giving them shivers.

"Step away from the child." Remus is holding up a hand towards Nisi who snarls at him.

"Why don't you try and make me?"

"Oh yes, werewolf, make the Alpha do as you say." Josh grins maliciously at the older man who seems to pale rapidly. "Go on, challenge the Alpha."

"Rem?" Sirius turns partially to look at his old time friend.

"She's- she's an alpha." He stutters, wanting to step away from the furious girl.

“Not  _ an  _ alpha, the Alpha.” Al corrects, making Remus actually take that step back.

"What's that mean?" Harry asks, not taking his eyes off the hostile group.

"She could probably rip my throat out no problem."

"If you even attempt to take him away from us, I will do a lot worse." She growls, fighting the urge to lunge anyways.

"Why do you even care about him? He’s Malfoy!" Ron opens his mouth again.

"Because he is ours." Blane answers.

"And we protect ours." Akil's magic flares as he speaks.

"Always and forever." All of those able to, speak at the same time.

"You won't give us Malfoy?" Sirius gulps slightly hoping no one noticed, but they're all predators.

"Over my dead body." Nisi hisses at the man.

"You guys are probably terrifying him." Hermione says, shuffling slightly closer.

"Draco, sweetie, are we scaring you?" Marylin asks, praying he says no.

"No, I know you guys won't hurt me. I don't know them." His timid voice echoes out from behind the blonde still shielding him.

"Alright. We want to get something out in the air." Fred speaks up, giving a little wave. Jake lifts an eyebrow.

"We aren't with them." George motions to the group to their side.

"We're your family!" Ron roars at them.

"You're being stupid."

"We like our lives." Draco peeks out from behind his shield to look at the redhead twins.

"They speak like you guys do."

"Yup, they do, don't they?" Nisi sighs, shifting him up onto her hip where he grabs her face between his hands.

"Your eyes are doing that pretty thing again. Is that a werewolf thing?"

"Nope, look. That guy there is a werewolf too." She points at Remus, smirking when Draco wrinkles his nose. "And look at Joshie, his eyes are the same as mine." Draco giggles and waves at Josh. Marylin and Blane join Nisi, Draco being shifted over to Marylin's hip before those three walk out leaving Nisi and the others to deal with the guest. The four up front shift back to their human forms when the kid is out of the room. Kana rolls her shoulders, trying to dislodge her anger.

"You ripped my pants." Well, she was trying to at least. She glares at Ron.

"You're lucky it wasn't your throat."

"What?" He takes a step towards her, getting into her personal space. The newcomers recoil when she's not the only one moving. Nisi and Anthony are in front of Remus, Josh and Mia have Sirius, Jay and Quinn corner Hermione, Jake and Charlotte grab Ginny, Monifa, Ali, Alex, and Louis stand in front of the twins, and Akil and Al move between Harry and Ron. Ron screams in pain as Kana's fist collides with his jaw, fracturing it in several places and dislocating it. He swings back but she ducks and tackles him around his waist, shifting until she's straddling the prone teen, arms pinned to his side. She throws another punch, breaking his nose. Hermione and Ginny scream as blood begins to pour from the broken cartilage. Akil and Al grab Harry's arms and drag him backwards some. Josh and Mia get ready to stop Sirius as Nisi and Anthony slam Remus to the ground, pinning him down easily.

"Are you done Ronald?" Kana asks, her face up in his, tone dripping in bloodlust. He nods slowly, not wanting her to react badly again. A fraction of the tension releases as Kana gets off of him. Remus is still struggling against the two that went to stop him. Anthony rolls off and comes to stand beside the others, Nisi immediately taking control over her situation.

"She won't kill him will she?" George asks Josh, sidling up beside him, still wary, but trusting that if he doesn't do anything stupid, they won't attack him.

"No. She just wants him to realize that she is the Alpha, and he stands no chance against her. The moment he submits, she'll release him." He responds casually, making George do a double take, not expecting to actually get a calm answer.

"How do you know she'll win? Remus is older than her, and he's been a werewolf since he was five." Sirius tries not to jump to his friends aid.

"She's been one since she was four, and she doesn't fight the wolf like your friend does. She is one with her wolf, it allows her to shift without the aid of the moon, and she still has her mind whenever she shifts. Last night, Draco played with her in her wolf form." Kana replies as Jay checks her knuckles for fractures or breaks. Nisi's claws prick Remus' neck right then and he automatically freezes, tilting his chin up, baring his neck. She's up and next to Josh and the others in a blink of an eye. Sirius helps Remus up and Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny crowd around him. Fred and George don't move, content with watching. Draco runs in the room, crying, Blane and Marylin right behind him.

"He was getting hysterical." Marylin explains as Draco jumps up into Jake's arm, anxiously checking his face. Once he is satisfied that Jake is okay, he squirms over to Charlotte and repeats the process of checking her over. He does this to each and every person until only Nisi and Kana are left. He grabs Kana's hand and starts to hyperventilate at the blood.

"Woah, calm down little one. It's not my blood, alright? Breathe Dragon, breathe." She crouches down beside him and places his face in her empty hand, making him look her in the eyes.

"Who's?"

"Ronald's."

"Okay. Okay. You're okay." He slows his breathing and tries to stop crying, still focused on the blood smeared across Kana's knuckles. The guests notice Nisi panic slightly and Marylin's eyes widen after landing on her. She slips up beside the blonde and waves her wand, trying to stop the golden blood dripping from a couple scratches on her arms and a deep one across her collarbone. They don't stop.

"Gods dammit Synkínisi. For the love of Hades."

"I'm sorry. I took it as a challenge." She hisses back. Draco starts crying anew as he glances up at her. She goes to her knees holding her arms out at the little boy. "No no, Liveloúla, don't cry. I'm okay. Remember that time I tripped and broke my nose? That was worse than this, I swear." The visitors stare at her soft voice and the idea that she is clumsy enough to do that.

"Lin can fix it right?" Nisi shakes her head and he starts gasping for breath.

"Draco. Dragon, little one come here. Look they're already starting to heal." She lays her arms on her thighs as he comes closers, hesitant to touch her arms. "You can check. It won't hurt me." She reassures him and he softly runs a finger next to a few of the scratches.

"Is this because of me?"

"No. You remember that time we went shopping and Alex and I had to stop Kana from attacking that guy who was being a jerk?" Their eyes widen further at that story. "Well this is just like that, except we let Kana attack the jerk and stopped his friends from helping him. I got in a fight with the werewolf because of that. Not you."

"Pwomise?"

"With every fiber in my being."

"They knew me when I was all grown up." She nods even though it wasn't a question. Draco looks up and glares at Ron. "I'm not the same kid anymore. I'm not 15, I'm not big. I'm only four." He holds up four fingers and those raising him try and stifle their laughter at his petulant tone.

"I don't know Little one. Four is still pretty big."

"No it's not. It's only this many!" He shows Kana his fingers again, rolling his eyes, and making her giggle. "I was mean when Lucius was my dad. But he's not my dad anymore. I don't need one, I have big brothers who do the job better, and big sisters who are better mommies. But they're also brothers and sisters. They're amazing. I don't know why I was mean to you, but they're teaching me better."

"When did you get so smart?" Anthony ask, crouching down beside Nisi.

"I'm always smart, silly."

"Sure, a smart alec." Anthony grins, swooping the kid up, and tossing him in the air, smoothly catching the squealing kid. When he's secure in Anthony's arms, he puts his hands on the Italian's cheeks.

"Again. Again."

"Okay. Guys come over here, let the girls decide how to handle the rest." They separate and Draco starts laughing as the boys toss him into the air. Smiling, the girls return their attention to the guest.

“Well, for starters, was there something you needed or was this a social call?” Monifa asks, settling down onto the couch.

“We, uh, we were talking and was going to ask if you guys wanted to join the Order of Phoenix.” Sirius stumbles at first, but evens out near the end, their shifts in emotions throwing his balance off.

“Dumbledore’s playdates?” Quinn quirks an eyebrow at the man, who winces slightly.

“We won’t join, no, but we are willing to collaborate.” Charlotte joins Monifa on the couch, still managing to look like the picture of high society while lounging in jeans and a tee shirt.

“Collaborate?”

“Yes. We’ll have liaisons. They’ll go to the meetings and pass on the information we gathered in exchange for sitting in on the meeting and information in return.” Mia explains, perching on the arm of the couch.

“We can do that.” Sirius nods slowly.

“We’d have to send the most levelheaded.” Nisi reminds them. “Not me obviously.”

“Ali.” Kana waves at the Turkish girl next to her.

“Not alone.” Monifa speaks up, eyes hard as she studies the guests in front of the fireplace.

“Of course not. Maybe Alex?” Marylin reassures her quickly.

“Alex going to meetings with Albus ‘For the Greater Good’ Dumbledore?” Ali asks, making Marylin wince.

“What?” Fred speaks up quickly.

“Dumbledore is willing to do a lot of things for what he calls the greater good. That includes sending people places that could very well kill them.” Alex answers him, much to his surprise.

“Dumbledore doesn’t do that!” Hermione shrieks at them and recoils when they all level her with a glare.

“Doesn’t he?” Quinn tilts her head at the girl.

“Lupin, how many times has he sent you to talk to a werewolf pack with little concern for your life or limbs?” Nisi turns her gaze onto the werewolf and waits until he looks away.

“Or look at your friend, Hermione. Look at Harry. What about him? Isn’t Dumbledore placing the wizarding world on his shoulders, yet not training him to do so?” Kana asks the girl, heat entering her voice.

"And don't even get us started on what he's done to Sirius." Mia waves a hand at the man in question.

“Not the point." Nisi interrupts before they can ask. "Alex wouldn’t be good. You’d probably take his head within moments.” Alex nods at Nisi, agreeing with that easily.

“Jake?” Charlotte offers with a wave at the guy laughing with Draco.

“Hey Jake!” He looks up at the girls with a lifted eyebrow. “You willing to go with Ali to the Order meetings?”

“Need someone able to control their tempers Nis?”

“You guys should toss him up next.” She grumbles as he nods with a large smile.

“So when is the next meeting?” Marylin asks turning the conversation serious again. Sirius casts a quick tempus charm.

“Wow, we were here longer than expected. It’s in 15 minutes.”

“Okay. Well we’ve got our liaisons for you, but I don’t want a repeat of today. We need someone we can trust to come to us from the Order.” Kana reclines against the wall behind her.

“What about them?” Ali tilts her chin in the direction of the Weasley twins.

“We’re not in the Order.” George rubs the back of his neck.

“And why not?” Charlotte asks, exasperated.

“Our mum.” Fred shrugs a little.   
  


“We’ll get it.” Ali sighs, motioning Jake to join them. “Meeting is now.”

“Kay. Let’s go.” He waits until Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Ron leave before flooing out. Remus goes next but pauses, turning to nod at Nisi.

“Alpha.”

“Lupin.” She nods back and he leaves, Sirius leaving after him. Fred and George step up and hold out a hand. Mia and Nisi shake them easily, a grin stretching their lips.

“Don’t worry.”

“They’ll get you guys involved.” Returning the grin, the twins step into the fireplace, Ali right after them.

“Just not how you will expect.” The two girls say after they’re gone.

“Where are Jake and Ali going?” Draco pauses in playing with the boys to look up at the fireplace and move over to the girls.

“They have a meeting they need to go to.” Charlotte reassures him, drawing him into her lap.

"Oh, okay." He says quietly, looking into his lap.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you think someone is going to try and make me leave you guys?"

"No one can you make you leave us." Akil crouches down and presses a kiss to the top of his head. "No one." Draco beams at him.

 

* * *

 

 

Jake waits for Ali to step through the floo. A plump redhead woman runs up and starts fussing over the kids, freaking out when she sees Ron.

"What happened?!"

"I got in a fight." He mutters swatting her away.

"And lost." Fred adds, exiting the fireplace.

"To a girl." George continues with a malicious grin that Ali and Jake note to tell the others about.

"Well he probably just didn't swing back. He knows better." George opens his mouth to argue with his mother, but Fred just rolls violet blue eyes and shakes his head. He glances at the two that came with them and winces when he finds them already looking at them. Jake motions them over as Molly bustles Ron off to fix his face.

"She wouldn't believe us and would probably call Kana horrible ugly names."

"We believe you. Relax." Jake sets a large hand on his shoulder, a soft smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

"So she won't let you two join the Order?"

"Nope."

"Well, we need you to be our liaisons." Ali pauses. "If you want."

"Definitely."

"We would"

"Love to"

"Help you guys."

"Careful. You don't know exactly what we do." Jake cautions, glancing at Ali to see if she agrees with him. She looks them over shrewdly, and nods.

"What?"

"Secrets?"

"Many, many secrets." Ali whispers, leaning in towards them. "Wanna know?" The redheads nod warily.

"First, we need to know what you two do. Trade of information and all that." He waves his hand, discretely casting a silencing charm.

"We plan on buying the building"

"Down the street from Gringotts."

"We make prank items."

"Harry gave us his Triwizard tournament money."

"You guys create things?" Ali's onyx eyes light up, making the bronze swirls seem to glow.

"Yeah." They respond simultaneously.

"We're the ones killing the death munchers." Jake says nonchalantly, throwing the twins off guard. They gather themselves quickly though, soon nodding at the two.

"Okay, makes sense."

"Why are you telling us?"

"We want to invest in your products. With the only thing being," Ali lifts a finger and Jake finishes her sentence.

"We might ask you to create things to help us. Nothing that would incriminate or make you feel bad."

"You want us to help you?"

"And you want to invest in us?"

"Yes." Jake and Ali answer together.

"Can you get us in the Order?" Fred asks quietly.

"If you want us to, though personally we think it's a bunch of bullshit. The old goat fucker is going senile." Ali rolls her shoulders. George looks at his twin before squaring his shoulders.

"Can you train us?"

"You want to be trained by assassins?" He nods at Jake's question. "Alright sure. Damnit."

“What?” Ali quirks an eyebrow.

“Mia and Nisi knew they would ask that. We get them involved by us training them.” Sirius approaches them and Jake drops the spell, turning to him. "Is it starting?"

"Yeah." He says slowly, studying the group with a little apprehension.

"Good." Ali turns on her heels and starts moving, Jake right behind her, heading to the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. They sit between Sirius and a girl whose hair is bubblegum pink.

"Is it only you two?" Dumbledore frowns at them, his voice laced with concern. Jake and Ali lock their emotions down tight, knowing it's going to be a long night.

"Yes, the others felt like it wasn't necessary for all of us to be present." Ali nods, voice serious and proper, face emotionless.

"Why not?" A guy with a spinning blue eye growls at them.

"We do not desire to be a part of this organization, but rather desire a collaboration. We are our group's liaisons." Ali is the only one speaking, they already decided Jake is the scary silent one.

"You don't want to work with us?" McGonagall questions, her eyebrows lifting.

"We are working with you. But in our own terms."

"How do we know we can trust them? Why are they even here?" One of the guys near Dumbledore asks with a little violence in his tone.

"Because we saved your ass." Ali's tone is still bland, but Jake lays a hand on her leg, easing her tension. "We also have information you can use. We do require a fair trade of information as well."

"I was intending for all of you to join." Dumbledore says laced in false sadness.

"They saved my life. If a collaboration is what they want, then we should do it." Sirius responds quickly. Dumbledore sighs and looks at Remus.

"What do you think Remus?" He looks up into the grandfather twinkle of Dumbledore's and realizes that they are right.

"We need what they have. I think we should let them do this their way. We can't afford to lose them." Jake studies the guy across the table, giving a small nod when he catches the werewolf’s eye. Dumbledore looks lost for a moment.

"We'll see how it works for now." He continues on, talking about how Voldemort is coming out of hiding. Ali turns to Sirius after glancing around the table, intentionally drawing attention to her movement.

"Is Harry not involved in these?" She has the decency to at least pretend to keep her voice down. Sirius shakes his head, gray eyes hardening. "Why not?"

"Because he is still a child." Molly says harshly from the other end of the table. Ali’s eyebrows furrow.

"Has Voldemort not tried to kill him on several occasions? Does he not deserve to know what might just save his life?"

"We want him to have a childhood," Sirius snorts here, making Dumbledore pause, "and not worry about a war." Ali takes a deep breath, Jake lightly squeezing her knee, and focuses on studying the people at the table. A hook nosed, greasy haired, pale man in black steps forward and starts talking about an impending attack on diagon alley. After he says he'll inform them when it would take place, the meeting starts to disperse.

"Wait. That's it? Nothing proactive? Only reactive?" All of the Order members stare at the young girl.

"What do you expect us to do?" McGonagall asks, voice hard.

"Bring the fight to the death munchers." Jake grins and just let's her speak. "Lock them up, incapacitate them before they can do harm."

"We would be no better than them if we focused on killing them." Dumbledore patronizes her gently.

"Anyone with the Dark Mark deserves to die." They gape at Ali, surprised at the conviction and hatred in her voice.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. They might have made a mistake or were pressured into it at a young age."

“Wrong. One cannot be given the Mark unwillingly. One has to, without aid, of their own free will, murder, rape or torture another human for that Mark to accept them. They have to prove themselves to Voldemort." She holds up a hand, interrupting Dumbledore before he can talk. "Whatever, in our opinion anyone harboring that disgrace on their arms, dies. Simple as that. Now, Jake and I are liaisons because we are the most levelheaded and least likely to be swayed by our emotions. We are here for your comfort, the others would be much more outspoken and a lot louder. Today, when Remus and Sirius and the teens entered our home, there was a slight problem. Synkínisi, the blonde that killed Bellatrix and broke Voldemort's face, is a werewolf. On top of that, she is an Alpha, as in she is the top of the pack. Her and Remus got into a skirmish because she took something he did as a challenge to her position. Luckily, she wasn't looking for blood and stopped the moment he submitted. We do not want a repeat of this situation. We are our groups liaisons and want the Weasley twins, Fred and George, to be your liaisons in case you ever need us." Molly explodes at that and starts shrieking unintelligibly at the girl.

"I don't think that wise."

"And why not Dumbledore?" Ali asks, exasperated and quickly losing her temper. She fucking hates emotions.

"They are just children-"

"They are 17 and they have no idea what is going on because of you. They could head to diagon alley the day of the attack and get killed because you are trying to protect them by keeping them in the dark." Ali points out, tone evening out. Arthur pales and Molly gets red in the face.

"They are only children." Dumbledore admonishes again and Ali stands up, chair scraping ominously against the wood ground, the others unaware Jake had cast a charm on it moments before she moved in order for it to make that sound. Ali fights the urge to kick his shin for that.

"Fuck this. Alexandria and Synkínisi can take the next meeting." Jake inhales quickly, and starts coughing, slightly choking on spit that he had inhaled in the process. The witch with bubblegum pink hair pounds him in the back until he looks up again.

"Ali-" he turns to the left to look at his savior, "Thanks. Ali are you mental? That'll end in bloodshed."

"I don't care. They can deal with the Order of Idiots." She stalks out of the room, Jake following her after shaking his head. They stop at the foot of the stairs and look up, meeting Fred and George's eyes. The twins move down the stairs and walk them to the fireplace.

"What happened?" Fred asks, noticing Ali’s magic crackling in anger.

"That old man really is going senile. He thinks he can convert the Death munchers to good guys." She replies loud enough for Severus, who's hiding in the shadows, to hear.

"You don't think it's possible?" George catches on that she’s up to something. Jake feels a sense of satisfaction. These two are worthy.

"No, all death munchers need to die, there is no saving them." She turns to look at the shadows obscuring the Potion master. "Hello Severus." He steps out sneering at her. "You don't seem to pleased with our stand on the death munchers lives. Now why would that be?" Both Ali and Jake smile maliciously at him, promising pain.

"We should go, Ali. They're probably waiting for us." She nods and steps into the fire. "See you two soon." Jake waves at the twins before following her through.

* * *

 

It’s Easter Break for Hogwarts and the Weasleys, Harry, Remus, and Sirius, in his animagus form, are walking around Diagon Alley. Appearing out of nowhere, Alex and Louis grab George and Fred, dragging them down the street, without alerting the Weasley matriarch and patriarch. Harry, Ginny, Sirius and Remus follow behind, unable to help smiling at Alex and Louis's enthusiasm.

"C'mon!"

"Where are we going?" Fred asks, dragging his feet halfheartedly.

"You'll see." Louis grins, tugging a bit more on his arm. They approach an empty building and the twins gape, stumbling a bit. Alex and Louis push open the door and shove the redheads in.

"Surprise!" Nisi calls from the second story landing before vaulting over the edge to land in front of them. "Here. Our investment."

"You bought this"

"For us?"

"Yeah, you'll pay it off. Don't worry." She waves off their stunned looks and motions around. "Go on. Explore."

"What type of payment?" Fred asks before moving away.

"Like notifying us if there's an attack here in Diagon. Products made-to-order. The like."

"We can do that." George says from the other side of the building.

"Great. Have anything you need help with right now?"

"Don't suppose you'd be willing to help us clean it up a bit."

"We can do that." Alex grins, repeating George's earlier words.

"Question, George, Fred." The glance up at Nisi. "The Order is lousy and we've started to train you, Ginny, and Harry in basic defense. Is there anything else you two want to be trained in?" They glance at each other.

"Well."

"You see."

"We were talking about asking"

"If you guys would be willing to"

"Allow us"

"To help with hits?" Nisi, Alex, and Louis stare at the two.

"You want"

"To become"

"Assassins?" Fred and George nod at them.

"Why?" Louis questions, shocked.

"You guys are right. The order sucks."

"And they aren't stopping the war, just dragging it out."

"Alrighty then." Alex says with a shrug. "Nis?"

"Okay. We can work with that." Nodding, the blonde agrees and starts cleaning the new shop once again. She ends up near Remus who tenses slightly. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” She asks, turning towards the older werewolf.

“Slightly.”

“I don't want you to hate me. I might have reacted rather strongly but I felt like my cub was in danger.”

“Cub?”

“Draco.” She elaborates. “Werewolves are similar to their wolf counterparts. They would never hurt their pack. Especially the cubs of the pack. Yet if you fight the wolf, things turn violent. It helps being around animagus as well.”

“Can you- can you help me?” Nisi pauses at the question. “You’re an Alpha. Were you ever in charge of a pack?”

“Yes. I left it to my Beta though, now he's the Alpha. Last I heard it had grown so much that it split in two to stay manageable, my Beta in charge of one with his mate as Beta and his brother, who was my third in charge, is Alpha of the other, his mate as his Beta.” She sighs, picking at the bottom hem of her t-shirt.

“You miss them.” She snorts at Remus.

“Of course I do. I'll see them soon enough though. As soon as Voldie is dead, there are a lot of people I need to meet back up with actually.”

“Will you help me?”

“Yeah. I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah. Not Bad people per say, but good doesn't really describe them either...


	3. Cate Gryffin

"Lemur, Monkey, stick with Crocodile and Cobra. Do not leave their side." Wolf looks at the two newbies, one with a fuchsia Lemur mask, the other a maroon golden snub nosed Monkey. They nod and follow the others’ lead. They split off into four groups, two have five people, two have four, Jaguar still at home. Crocodile leads Lynx, Lemur, Monkey, and Cobra down a hallway, freezing portraits as they go. They quietly enter a room with the door open, Walden McNair pacing the room. Cobra silences the room and Crocodile grins under his mask as he drops his invisibility spell and slams the door. McNair whirls around and Cobra summons his wand before he can react properly, dropping his own invisibility spells. Lemur and Monkey do the same.

 

“See, we’re training these two.” Crocodile motions to the two that just fades into view. “You’re their first target.”

 

“With our help, of course. How do you two want to do this? No wands.” Lynx looks at the two who glance at each other. McNair makes to tackle the closest masked figure, which happens to be Lynx. Lemur reacts instantly, sending a bone crushing curse at him wandlessly, crushing his ribcage, and knocking him into the wall which he slides down, lifeless. “Well that works.”

 

“McNair is dead. Lemur’s kill.”

 

“Are they okay?” Fox asks quietly.

 

“We’re fine Fox.” Monkey reassures her softly.

 

“Good, closing in on target.” Fox says before going silent. In another room across the wing Fox, Coyote, Roc and Owl set up a large repelling charm and a silencing one, pausing in front of the closed door. They exchange a glance before Roc blasts the wall to rubble. Augustus Rookwood starts casting killing curses at the four, but they dodge them easily, extensive training with Nisi and Josh helping them. A curse glances Owl’s shoulder, causing her to collapse. The other three move instantaneously. Roc moves to her side and Fox and Coyote tackle him to the ground, Coyote on his legs, Fox holding his arms.

 

“Owl is hit.” Roc’s voice is even, though she wants to scream.

 

“With?” Wolverine worriedly comes over the radio.

 

“Don’t know but she’s unconscious.”

 

“Fuck, on my way.”

 

“Kay.” She turns to the girls pinning the man. “Let me kill the bastard, I’m going to rip his mind to shreds.” Roc growls, approaching them and straddling him. She places a hand on either side of his face and enters his mind. He starts to scream as she tears through the fabric of his mind. Finding what she needs, she exits, shredding everything as she goes. Once out, she unsheathes a knife dipped in poison that causes every nerve to have a spastic attack while tensing the muscles, not allowing the body to move. Wolverine reaches the room just as Roc begins to stab him.

 

“Roc, I’m taking her back to the house. Can you tell me the curse he used?”

 

“ _ Proicimus _ .”

 

“Alright. I can fix it. You need to breathe sweetie.” Roc just stabs the man beneath her repeatedly. “I’m leaving guys.” She grabs the prone girl and walks into the nearby shadows, disappearing as they melt around her. The other two groups continue on as Crocodile's moves towards Roc. Lion waves his wand over the door, letting them see inside. Alecto Carrow is asleep in her bed, wand on the dresser. Anaconda and Bat look at Phoenix who nods after setting silencing charms on the door, and one that will keep the pressure inside the room stable when they open the door. The four masked, hooded figures slip inside and glide towards the bed. Phoenix tips a vial over the death eater's mouth and steps back to watch with the others as the liquid eats at her flesh.

 

"Nice Bat, we need to use that more often." Lion grins under his mask, clasping Bat's shoulder. "Alecto's dead."

 

"There's a muggle in with Amycus." Wolf crackles over in response.  

Rich chocolate hair flies around as she struggles against the man ripping her shirt open. He freezes when four people enter the door, each wearing a different mask: a Wolf, Viper, Tiger, and Hellhound. Wolf moves first, smoothly descending the stairs, and flicks his wrist at the startled man, causing a circular board to lift up behind him, chains exploding out of it, tangling around Amycus' wrist and ankles.

 

"Remind you of anything Wolf?" Hellhound asks as Viper pulls her off to the side and Tiger conjures a cloak similar to their own, and gives it to her.

 

"Reminds me of when Jaguar and I killed my dad." He nods, studying the chained death eater.

 

"What's your name, sweetie?" The Viper’s voice is low, she supposes so it doesn't startle her.

 

"Cate. Yours?"

 

"Viper."

 

"Yes I can see that." She sighs, shifting the cloak to cover her slightly more.

 

"If everyone is done, meetup in the basement."

 

"Who is- he?- talking to?" Cate asks while watching Wolf talk onto seemingly thin air.

 

"Wolf is talking to the others." Tiger smiles under her mask, impressed with the girl's calm exterior. "Wolf how is she holding up?" She whispers under her breath so Cate doesn't hear.

 

"She's in shock." He responds equally quiet. She nods slightly and glances at Viper who is staring at Amycus, body tensed with anger.

 

"Alright, Cate, sweetie, do you want to sit down?"

 

"Are you guys going to kill him?"

 

"Yes." Hellhound answers easily just as the others reach them. Cate stares as ten new  masked figures enter, one of them, the one in a Roc mask, seems highly agitated.

 

"Roc go home and tell Jaguar we'll be a little late."

 

"I'm fine."

 

"Roc." Wolf growls at the other. "Go home. Tell Jaguar we will be late. If there are questions, say something about this bastard reminding me about our lovely father." Cate watches as Roc still hesitates. "Go home." With a huff, Roc finally turns and melts into the shadows. "Monkey, Fox, stay with Cate please." Two figures approach her and stand on either side. Cate flinches away slightly. Fox turns so her front is towards the girl, her back to Amycus. Lifting up the mask slightly, Fox allows Cate to see her pale jade eyes then covers her face again.

 

"We won't hurt you." Fox reassures her softly. Hellhound catches Cate's attention by motioning for Wolf to go first, who draws a wicked looking knife. Cate places a hand on Fox's shoulder and places her mouth beside where she believes the girl's ear to be.

 

"Is Wolf a guy or girl." She breathes softly, hoping the girl can hear her.

 

"A guy." She barely can hear the response but it's definitely there. Nodding to show she heard, she glances up in time to see the knife fly and pierce her tormentors hand, making him scream and start struggling. A perverse sense of satisfaction fills her. Monkey bends down, mask tilted up just a bit so his mouth can brush Cate's ear.

 

"Do you mind if we seem a little- mental?"

 

"Not if I can join in." She glances at him, slightly entranced by his lips that quirk up in a smirk at her answer.

 

"Wicked." He says, his mask back in place. Hellhound draws a knife next, lazily tossing it at the pinned man, hitting his elbow. Fox taps Cate's shoulder, gaining her attention.

 

"I'll tap your wrist once for guy, two for chick when they throw. Kay?" Cate nods, happy with that. Fox encircles her wrist and taps it once for Hellhound.

 

"Fox. Wanna go next?" Wolf turns and looks at the girl who bounces up, pulling out her own knife. She tosses it with a bit more force than the two boys before her, impaling his groin area.

 

"Can he bleed out?" Cate asks Monkey quietly.

 

"No. We won't let him." Monkey answers as Fox rejoins them.

 

"Good." She sneers, studying each person who steps up to toss a knife. Tiger gets two taps, so does Viper, Phoenix, and Coyote. The others only get one. Wolf and Hellhound turn towards Cate, heads tilted to the side.

 

"Cate, would you like to throw one? It could even be the death shot. If you desire it to be so." She studies their mask, unable to see anything but black in the eye holes, all of the mask are like that actually.

 

"I can have the kill shot?" They both nod. "I would love that, but my aim isn't the best." There's a soft snort from both.

 

"Fox, Monkey, help her will you?" Hellhound nods at the chained man, moving to the side.

 

"Fuck you Hellhound." Fox halfheartedly snarls making Cate and Monkey look at her concerned. 

"Nothing, Jaguar is meddlesome that's all." She shrugs and pulls Cate forward, Monkey following right behind. "Alright. Monkey stand behind her and help her into position." Cate fights a blush as Monkey sidles up behind her, hands on her hips. "Cate your arm is going to go like this." Fox leads her arm in an arc, stopping it where it's near parallel to the ground. "You'll let go here. Kay?" Cate nods, slight tingles running up her arm from where Fox has a grip on her elbow. "Ready? Monkey lead her through by her hips, I have her arm." The two lead her through the movement and the knife Wolf handed her, flies true and pierces his heart. Previous screams turn into gurgles as they remove the charms keeping him alive.

 

"Well-"

 

"Fuck. We have company." Phoenix snarls, looking up towards the roof.

 

"Voldie, Sev, and a few newbies." Wolf follows her gaze, voice curious.

 

"Get her into a mask. Let's scare them a bit." Hellhound motions to the Cate, malice clear in his voice. Fox turns to her.

 

"Is that okay with you?"

 

"Um sure?"

 

"Here." Monkey hands her a cat mask and Fox transfigures the cloak into clothes identical to theirs and conjures another cloak.

 

"Stay with us." Fox whispers as the door is blasted open.

 

"Nice of you to join us. You missed the fun. Most of us have already left." Wolf calls up the stairs.

 

"That's a pity." Cate holds in a gasp as a man with snake like features descends the stairs elegantly, nearly as elegant as Wolf did earlier. "We were looking forward to meeting those giving us so many issues."

 

"Well we certainly are trying." Wolf laughs, making Cate gape. "But if it's only issues we're causing, then fuck, we just have to step it up a few notches." All of the masked figures around her begin laughing after Wolf finishes. "See you soon." He waggles his fingers and the shadows around the group start swirling and covering them. Fox and Monkey grab a wrist of Cate's, pulling her closer in between them. She hears a shout of rage before stumbling slightly when her feet touch down in a completely different place.

 

"Everyone good?" Bat calls out. Thirteen yesses ring out through the room. Cate takes off her mask and looks around what seems to be the entryway of a castle. A short teenage girl rounds the corner on the other end and takes in the sight of the group. Cate stares in amazement. She's gorgeous. Golden blonde hair with blue and black masterly dyed in, electric blue eyes and vivid purple flecks, multiple piercings including snake bites, a lip ring, and three eyebrow rings, her ears are pierced too, a bar across the top and three studs going up the lobe on the right, the left has two rings up top and five studs going up the side, pale with freckles dusting her face, down her neck, over her shoulders and down her arms, fit arms. Fit everything.

 

"Oh thank gods, you guys are okay." Cate's jaw drops at the smoky tone that emanates from the girl's purplish red lips that look like they've been thoroughly kissed.

 

"You wouldn’t believe who we ran into, Nisi." Wolf's mask come off and Cate allows her jaw to stay down. Tan, and has to be Nisi's older brother. His eyes are just as blue and have gold flecks, not purple. He's about a foot taller than his sister and his voice is husky to her smoky, and holds no blue or black in his golden blonde hair.

 

"Voldie and a few munchers, no snake unfortunately." Hellhound removes his mask next and she finds herself staring at Italian chiseled cheekbones and jawline, rich olive skin, and deep forest green eyes in sharp contrast to his inky black hair he puts up in a simple bun.

 

"Damn, no snake?" Nisi groans, running a hand through her wavy hair. As Phoenix’s mask comes off and reveals a girl with shifting blue eyes and sun streaked, collarbone length hair a little boy with silver/grey eyes and platinum blonde hair runs in and launches himself at Viper, who slips her mask off revealing ice blue eyes and long white hair with blunt bangs framing French aristocratic features.

 

"Charlotte, Charlotte, you're back!" He beams, patting her cheek.

 

"Are you sure?" Charlotte asks, sophisticated voice sounding surprised.

 

"Of course I am." He rolls his eyes. Several laughs ring out as more take off their mask. Anaconda is a buff Mongolian guy, dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes, who looks kind of scary yet still ethereal and treats the kid in Charlotte’s arms with such kindness she feels touched at the sight. Coyote is a slight Japanese girl with short spiky in places black hair, gorgeous cognac eyes, and quirked silver lips. Tiger has dark red purple hair and startling green eyes, her tan skin making them stand out even more. An Egyptian guy takes off the Crocodile mask, looking like a Pharaoh from ancient times. Cobra is an Indian that looks younger than all of the others with dark hazel eyes, his brown hair a shade darker than her own. Lion looks like an older version of Cobra, hair a little lighter, eyes too. Bat ruffles the little kid's hair, pulling off his mask to show Russian features and messy dark brown, nearly black hair. Lynx slips his mask off and Cate can't help but wonder how he has such dark, thick eyelashes. His curly brown hair is just long enough to show a few curls that surround his Hispanic face. Monkey removes his own next and she takes in his violet blue eyes and blood red hair and freckled face. Lemur’s mask follows and she notices that he is Monkey's twin. Fox takes her own off and smiles at Cate, bright, vivid red hair framing pale skin, a small nose, and pale jade eyes.

 

"Did you guys take in another stray? Isn't that Lin's job?" Nisi asks, looking over at Cate, a small grin forming.

 

"How is Monifa and Ali? Was Marylin successful?" Cobra sounds worried, but Nisi just smiles bigger.

 

"Yeah they're all fine, Al. They're in the living room, waiting on you slow pokes." Al sneers at the girl and pulls Crocodile with him. "Have any of them even bothered to introduce themselves to you?" Nisi turns her full attention onto Cate who is, for a moment, speechless.

 

"Um, you're Nisi." She shrugs and Nisi's grin stays and she seems to be holding back laughter.

 

"Yeah. That's me."

 

"Is he your older brother?" Cate motions to Wolf and Nisi grimaces when his face splits with a grin.

 

"I knew I liked her. She's smart."

 

"Five minutes doesn't count, you prat." Nisi smacks his arms, making him wince before smiling again. "We're twins."

 

"My name's Josh. Little sis, this is Cate."

 

"Hi Cate." She waves before laying a hand on Josh's shoulder, her smile turning malicious, making him gulp a little. "Call me little sister again brother. See if you'll say anything for a month." Cate giggles at that and so does the little kid now in Anaconda's arms.

 

"I'm Draco." The littlest one chimes in and Cate wants to coo at the bundle of adorableness.

 

"Jake." Anaconda.

 

"Charlotte." Viper.

 

"Blane." Bat.

 

"Fred." Lemur.

 

"Louis." Lynx.

 

"Quinn." Tiger.

 

“Mia.” Phoenix.

 

"Jay." Lion.

 

"Kana." Coyote.

 

"Anthony." Hellhound.

 

"And I'm George." Monkey looks down at her, a soft smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

 

"I'm Alex." Fox gives a small wave, her grin infectious.

 

"C'mon, let's meet the others." Nisi motions for her to join her up front. Cate moves warily up beside her. "They didn't scare you too much did they?"

 

"No." She shakes her head gently.

 

"Alright. We have hot chocolate in the living room." Nisi links her arm with Cate's, pulling her along to the room. "Marylin." Nisi motions to a Spanish girl with warm brown eyes with a pink band in between the two brown ones and dark brown hair that fades into a honey color going down. "Al." Cobra. "Akil." Crocodile. "Ali." Roc who looks a lot more relaxed. "And Monifa." Monifa has dark skin and cinnamon curly hair that stands out against her skin. "Guys this is Cate."

 

"We break so many laws." Marylin talks first, a rich Spanish accent falling out of dark red lips.

 

“We love it.” Blane flops down on the couch beside her, pressing a chaste kiss on the girl's mouth.

 

“Umm.” Cate looks around a little nervously at that, unsure what she was even doing here.

 

“Well, we're not supposed to tell nonmagicals about the Wizarding World.” Alex elaborates on what they were talking about just then, motioning for her to sit beside the redhead.

 

“She's not magical?” Draco asks as Cate takes the offered seat.

 

“No, she's not.”

 

“Okay.” Draco shrugs in that easy way only children have. “If you guys are okay with her than I am too.” He says, seeming to shake the other teens up, before losing interest, squirming out of Jake's lap to play with his moving toy dragons on the floor.

 

“Fuck.” Nisi mutters under her breath much to Cate's surprise.

 

“Isn't that a good thing?” She turns to Alex who looks just as shell shocked.

 

“Hey Alex, Maybe you should get Cate into some more comfortable clothes. She’s about your size.” Charlotte interrupts before Alex can respond. “Monifa, Ali, and Marylin are going to watch Draco while we change.” Alex nods and pulls Cate up and down the hallway that everyone else is moving towards as well. When the door is firmly shut behind them, Alex turns to a nearby dresser.

 

“Um, pants or shorts, tank top or tee?” Alex asks, pulling out her own shorts with little leaves and vines and a dark green tee.

 

“Pants and a tank top please.”

 

“These okay?” She pulls out a pair of yellow and black plaid pants and a black tank top.

 

“Yeah, thanks.”

 

“It is a good thing, what he said.” Alex starts as she begins changing into the pjs. Cate follows suit, a light blush dusting her face at the lack of modesty. “It’s complicated though. Marylin wasn't kidding when she said we break a lot of laws. You've seen us kill. There were three other people in that house that we murdered. That isn't the first house we've hit. And we get payed by our local bank for each death. Then there's telling you about this and allowing you to see us do magic. We are really not suppose to do that, but the Ministry of Magic thinks we're dead, they can't trace our magic, mostly because we don't use our wands. Draco, well, you see. His house was our first hit. He is 16 in reality. Marylin and Blane deaged him with a potion. It's not ethical, no, and we know this, but he wasn't guilty of being anything but a bully and prat, not something we would ever kill over. Possibly fight, but not kill. We had originally planned on giving him to his aunt Andromeda. They saw bruises appear when he deaged though, got attached and brought him home instead. The deal in response to that was when he showed definite signs that our,” Alex flounders a bit, motioning with her hands trying to find the word, “influence, changed him for the better, we would age him back to his actual age. We have told him that we deaged him, and took him away from his parents, and he didn't seem too upset about it. But we're all a little worried about when he gets all of his memory back. He might hate us. We did murder his parents. I mean fuck, i literally pushed down on his hanging mother's shoulders because Al got hit by one of her house guest.” Alex rubs her hand over her face, pausing, and Cate stays silent and waits. “We aren't good people. We know this. We don't regret it though. Our morals are few and far in between, but we stick by them. Do not abuse. Do not rape. Do not kill innocents. And if they hurt your family, they die, screaming.”

 

“Why are you telling me? You just met me?”

 

“Josh and Nisi allowed you into their home. I trust you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“They are empaths. They have the ability to feel and manipulate emotions. They won't mess with your emotions though. At home, they keep it toned down enough to only pick up extreme anger, depression or panic.” Alex shrugs languidly. “I trust their judgement. Beside, why do you think you were able to keep a clear head when we started to throw pointy objects at a chained up man? You were in shock, but Josh kept it manageable, not wanting you to shut down.” Another shrug. “Oh fuck. Do you want to go home? We can take you home. We're not kidnapping you as well.” Alex actually looks concerned so Cate rushes to assure her.

 

“They killed my parents, I was an only child, the neighborhood isn't safe for a lone girl-” She rambles, unaware she is doing so.

 

“Hey relax. I was just making sure.” Alex lays a hand on her elbow with a soft smile. “C’mon, let's go hang out with the others.”

* * *

 

It's three in the morning and Nisi swirls her spoon in her cup of tea, waiting for Draco to enter the kitchen. He pauses when he sees her and slowly comes to sit in front of her, a hot tea resting at that seat. She watches him take a sip and the surprise that follows at the fact that it's his favorite.

 

“You kidnapped me and murdered my parents.” The 16 year old boy accuses her with a strained effort to keep his voice hard.

 

“Yes.” She nods, not even bothering to deny it.

 

“Why?” Nisi cocks her head at his question.

 

“Why did we kidnap you or why did we kill Lucius and Narcissa? Those are two very different questions.”

 

“Both then.” Draco sneers impatiently and she lifts an eyebrow in response, making him look away for a moment.

 

“We killed them because they were our hit. They had the Mark on them. They bowed to that madman. They raped and tortured and murdered innocent people simply because their blood wasn't the same. We do not regret it Draco, we will never regret it.” She stares at him, allowing him to realize she wasn't lying. They truly do not regret killing Lucius and Narcissa. “Now kidnapping you wasn't the original plan. Deage you, yes. Keep you, not so much. We had planned to take you to your Aunt Andromeda, knowing she would raise you well, but not with the notion of blood purity. Deaging you, though, actually reverted your body back to its four year old self, including the bruises you had back then. Josh, Kana, Quinn, Anthony, Jake, Louis, and I were all abused when we were younger.” Draco pales at that, and is about to deny being abused when Nisi levels him with a glare. “Do not insult my intelligence Draco, we all know abuse when we see it. Josh and I killed our father when we were 10 because he had whipped me to the point where my spine was visible in places then raped me. Abuse hits to close to home with us and when Marylin and Blane saw the bruises, their heart broke for you and decided then and there to keep you, for us to raise you, knowing we would do everything we ever could to give you the childhood you deserved. We don't regret that either.”

 

“I should hate you. You killed my parents.”

 

“You probably should.” Nisi agrees. If he gets his anger out now, the others won't have to deal with the heartbreak of feeling like he hates them.

 

“You’re not a good person.”

 

“No I'm not.”

 

“That doesn't bother you?” Nis sighs and thinks about it, not wanting to lie to the kid that use to crawl into their beds after a nightmare.

 

“No I don't suppose it does.” She muses. “I might not be a good person, but I am not anything like Voldie or his Munchers.” She shrugs slightly. “I enjoy who I am, and can live with what I have done in my life.”

 

“You enjoy who you are? You can live with yourself? You killed my parents!”

 

“I've already admitted to that and told you I don't regret it.”

 

“What is wrong with you people?!” Draco explodes, shooting to his feet, chair flying backwards. Nisi calmly tilts her chair on the back two legs, reclining and appearing relaxed.

 

“We were broken and took it upon ourselves to piece us back together. We were unhappy with the hand we were dealt and learned a certain skill set to keep us on top. Forgive me if I don’t fit into the mold of what you expect me to be Draco.” He recoils at that. “We do what we know how to do and are good at to protect what we care about.”

 

“So what? You think Potter and Dumbledore are the World's saving grace?” Nisi snorts at his harsh tone, making him stare at her in shock.

 

“Dumblefuck? Fuck no. He's a manipulative goat fucker who is willing to sacrifice anyone to what he deems the ‘Greater Good’. Can’t stand the senile old coot. Harry shouldn't have to be the saving grace, he’s fucking your age. Voldie is Our kill, the Wizarding world rest upon Our shoulders, not his.” Draco is still staring at her, but shakes it off quickly.

 

“What about the M- Weasel and Granger?” He changes mid sentence as she narrows her eyes at him.

 

“Do not say that word in this House Draco Malfoy, we will still bend you over our knee or wash your mouth out. The only being fit to hold Mudblood as a title is Voldemort. And do you not remember when Weasel and Granger drew their wands at you? Do you not remember the fight that ensued? Do you really think we would chose those we have fought against over someone we have become attached to?”

 

“And those twins?”

 

“Were smart enough to realize that you were not a threat, and that Ron was being stupid.”

 

“What about the Malfoy name, it's vaults? Was I pronounced dead?”

 

“Don’t be silly. Gringotts knows you're alive and well.” She waves off the questions. He sits back down, head in his hands.

 

“I should hate you. I really should.” He grumbles.

 

“Probably.” She sighs, running a hand through her hair.

 

“Why don't I-”

 

“I swear Draco, if you accuse me of fucking with your emotions, I will walk out of here and return to bed before Anthony comes down to see why I left.” He pauses, mouth open, at the weariness in her voice.

 

“Why are you up?” He asks softly, noticing the tired dull to her eyes.

 

“You needed to get mad at someone.” At her shrug, his eyes widen at the implication that she stayed up just so he could yell at her.

 

“Why you?”

 

“I just spent the last 19 years of my life being either ignored and left behind or the scapegoat. I can deal with a little yelling from someone I care about. I don't want the others to have to deal with that, but you needed to release that energy and get answers. So here I am.”

 

“I'm sorry for yelling.”

 

“Don’t be Draco. It's natural to be angry and upset.”

 

“Syn,” Anthony's voice comes from the doorway, causing both to glance up. “seriously, you know Dumbles will call for a meeting soon and Ali had said something about you and Alex getting it.” He walks in, ruffling Draco's hair as he passes. She sighs, laying her head on the table. “Don’t kill him.”

 

“I'll try.” She mumbles, falling asleep where she sits now that her reason for staying up is better.

 

“Draco, feeling better little one?” Draco looks up, shocked. He just yelled at the older teen’s lover. “I’m not upset. You just realized we murdered Lucius and Narcissa. Breathe Dragon.” Nisi’s breathing evens out and Anthony smiles as he picks her up, resting the small girl on his hip, her head on his shoulder. “Let's go to bed.” He motions for Draco to go first.

* * *

 

“The Dark Lord is becoming furious. Last night we came into contact with those killing the Death Eaters. There were 15 masked figures, and each one was a different animal. The one that spoke was a gold Wolf, which leads me to believe they are muggleborn or halfblood.” Josh is pureblood actually, and that actually makes no sense. There are wolves in wizard culture. “The mask were cartoon like, colorful, and smirking.” Severus’ voice washes over Alex, and Nisi’s too bored to listen, sitting beside her. “If you could pay attention, this is rather important.” He sneers at Nisi, who glances up, rolling her eyes.

 

“I am not your student nor are we in class, Severus.” Alex fights back a laugh as Severus’ eyes bulge at Nisi's bland tone.

 

“Now, now, Syn. Temper and language remember.” Alex mockingly berates the girl beside her.

 

“But Alex, that's like, everything that comes out of my mouth.” She whines petulantly back, a pout firmly in place.

 

“Why you little-”

 

“Severus.” Dumbledore pierces his Potion Master with a glare before getting a twinkle in his eye and looking at Nisi and Alex. “Ali said something that gave us a pause. Something about those with the Dark Mark.”

 

“Yes, they deserve to die.” Nisi nods at Alex’s response.

 

“Don't you think that's a bit violent?”

 

“Nope, Ali is completely logical.” Nisi shakes her head and interrupts him before he can open his mouth again. “Alright. So there are assassins that are pissing off Voldie Moldie. You don't approve of our stand on the murdering rapist. And Severus still doesn't know when the attack on Diagon is. Is that everything?” She asks impatiently. And Alex stops holding in her laughter, head falling onto the table. “Seriously, is there anything else or can I go home?”

 

“That’s all.” Dumbledore replies wearily and Nisi rolls her eyes.

 

“Wow, Jake and Ali were right. Nothing proactive, only reactive.” Alex sighs, getting up and stalking out of the room.

 

“You guys are rather rude.” McGonagall says sternly.

 

“Ma’am, you haven't seen us at our worst.” There's a pressure on the front of her mind and Nisi allows Dumbledore to fall into her mindscape. He stares around, looking up at the formidable, dark, stone castle looming in front of him. He starts to approach and Nisi sends basic creatures at him, wanting him to reach the door. Old coot wants to search her mind, he won’t get far. He opens the old wood and iron door, satisfied with his progress. He glances around inside before a light rushes him and envelopes him in a memory. It's from the morning of Nisi's birthday, about the same time that she looks up and tells Anthony to come wake her up. Dumbledore recoils the moment he realizes what's about to happen and is forcibly ejected from her mind. He staring at her smirk when Alex runs into the room, pale green eyes blazing.

 

“How dare you?!” She snarls, as Nisi stops her from lunging at the old coot. “How dare you fucking even attempt-”

 

“Alex. Princess. I am fine. Look at me. I am fine.” Nisi makes the redhead look at her. “Alex, what happened to ‘temper’?”

 

“That bastard just tried to mind rape you.”

 

“And guess what he got a glimpse of?” Nisi smirks, trying to calm her down. “My birthday morning.” Alex seems to relax slightly, still glaring at Dumbledore. “Let’s leave.” Nisi pulls the girl out of the room and into the fireplace, startling those waiting on the other side for them. Draco stares as Nisi let's Alex go. Alex starts raging and Nisi flicks up a shield around everyone as Alex or her magic starts throwing things around the room, shattering objects in her anger. When she calms down enough, she flops onto the ground huffing.

 

“Explain.” Anthony sighs, pulling Nisi onto the couch between him and Draco. Cate moves next to Alex and when Fred and George come through the floo, George joins the two on the floor.

 

“He fucking attempted to mind rape Synkínisi.” Alex’s growl sets everyone on edge.

 

“Nisi?” The calm edge to Josh's voice has Draco looking warily around the room.

 

“Sex with Anthony in the shower.” Laughter rings around the group.

* * *

 

Charlotte and Draco scoff at Nisi and Cate as the four walk out of a muggle mall.

 

“Oh come on. I was smart enough to bring you and Charlotte shopping wasn't I?” Nisi asks Draco, rolling her eyes at him.

 

“True.” Draco shrugs. A scream has them all turning around. Masked figures are torching houses nearby. Charlotte immediately moves in front of Cate and Draco and Nisi whirls around, tossing a shield over the two, right before seeing the spell coming for her. She dodges to the side and the spell connects with her shin, sending her careening to the side, making it impossible for her to land on her feet. She turns and sends the masked figure about to curse Draco into a burning building. She hobbles to her feet and winces when she puts weight on her leg.

 

“Nisi?” Charlotte turns slightly, holding off about five munchers.

 

“Shin is shattered.” She sighs, moving up to the three.

 

“How are you walking on it?” Cate asks, worry clear in her face.

 

“Shutting down my emotions.” At her response Charlotte growls and sends a cutting curse, decapitating the five death eaters at once.

 

“No. Fucking godsdamnit, don't you dare Synkínisi Barron.”

 

“The residents Charlotte.”

 

“Fuck them.”

 

“Char!” Charlotte snarls at Nisi then sends Killing curses, Cutting curses, Bonecrushing curses, everything she can think of, Nisi joining in until they're all dead.

 

“Do not move.” Charlotte points a finger at Nisi who stumbles a bit, nodding a little. Charlotte moves and supports the smaller girl, Draco getting her other side. Cate moves to Draco's side at Charlotte’s motion. An hour later finds Nisi laying across the couch, head in Anthony's lap, left leg across Kana's lap, right foot tucked under Kana's legs.

 

“So Dark Magic has to heal naturally?” Cate asks, intently studying Marylin from between George and Alex.

 

“Yeah. When it's stuff like this. Now I can stop cuts from bleeding, shrinking them enough to keep the person alive. I can stop a curse from progressing further at times and sometimes even repair the damage caused by one.”

 

“Like when we hit the Carrow house, where you were at, I got hit by a curse that degrades my organs.  _ Proicimus.  _ Normally that spell is irreversible but Marylin is well versed in healing magics not used by white healers.” Monifa comments from Ali's side.

 

“You healed that spell?” Draco asks curled into Jake and Charlotte’s side.

 

“Yeah.” Marylin shrugs easily, waving off the teen’s amazement. Once again the room is filled with laughter and Draco realizes he is actually a part of this family.

* * *

 

Fred barges into Barron Castle, hoping someone is in the living room. Akil looks up from the ground where he's sharpening his khopesh.

 

“What’s up?”

 

“Attack. Diagon. Now.” Akil flicks his wrist, sending a sphinx Patronus out of the room, then grabs Fred, pulling him back through the fireplace and into WWW, their new shop in Diagon. Moments later the other 16 floo through, leaving Draco and Cate at home, with much arguments on their parts.

 

“Okay remember, these people can see us. Use your wand, or at least pretend to.” Anthony reminds them.

 

“Can we accidentally on purpose kill Sevvy?”

 

“No. I have something special planned for the spy.” Blane answers a bouncing Alex. “Just everytime you see him, say ‘Hello Severus’. Pretty please.” They all nod, a smirk in place. Right before they exit, a teen falls out of the fireplace, landing on his face.

 

“Harry?” He looks up sheepishly at his name being called. “What the hell are you doing? Shouldn't you be in school?”

 

“I heard Snape tell Dumbledore about the attack.”

 

“We need to get out there.” Alex calls out, watching them advance on Gringotts.

 

“I've got Harry.” Kana grabs the boy's elbow and tugs him next to her.

 

“Okay.” Josh nods and opens the door, hitting the first muncher with a cutting curse to the spine, Mia is right beside him. Nisi pulls a bow and arrow out of thin air and as she and Anthony walk out, aims and fires at someone cornering Ollivander, hitting the tormentor in the temple from the other end of the street. They leave the building in groups of two or four, making their way towards Gringotts, clearing the street as they go. Nisi enters the bank, wiping off the knife she had just used to slit the guy entering before her’s throat.

 

“ _ Madam Ironfist, we're outside. Im keeping Kana, Louis, and Alex posted out the doors.”  _ She doesn't wait for a reply, just walks out the door, taking her recent kill by his ankle with her.

 

Josh and Nisi stand, bloodsoaked, in the foyer of Grimmauld Place, waiting for the order to show up, mostly to see their faces when they take in the sight of the Golden twins. Harry, Fred and George are with them, in front of them more precisely, Josh and Nisi not comfortable with the others. Molly runs in, shrieking at the twins for being so reckless and pulls Harry into a hug. They go to roll their eyes at the hypocritical woman but notice Harry's flinch at her sudden movement. They exchange a glance as the others file in.

 

“I’m telling you Dumbledore. Those teens are killers.” Josh slips away and pulls Harry off the the side.

 

“Hello Severus.” Nisi gives a little wave, a piece of an ear sliding off of her shoulder, effectively drawing all of their attention on her. “Which teens are we talking about?”

 

“You and your friends.” Severus sneers.

 

“Us?” Nisi’s tone turns innocent and honeyed, the boys call it her creepy, ‘I'm going to gut you and hang you by your entrails where you stand’ voice. That paired with her bloody appearance makes several shiver in fear as she speaks. “You think we kill people? What gave you that idea?” Out of the corner of her eye she can see Josh give Harry the ‘don't insult my intelligence, I know I'm correct’ look, and she knows the day is still far from over. He rejoins her and yawns.

 

“We should go home and shower Nis.”

 

“Are you the group killing Death Eaters? “ Dumbledore asks before they can turn around, causing Josh to glance up and meet his eyes and immediately curses and berates himself for doing so. Dumbledore takes that opportunity to probe at his mind. He catches a glimpse of a golden castle before two vicious presences attack his mind, not looking for anything, just showing they can rip holes in his defense if they so desire. Gasping draws him back into reality and he sees a sight that turns his very bones ice cold. Josh and Nisi's eyes have shifted like they had in the Ministry, and several of the other teens have returned. Kana, Al, and Charlotte are trying to sooth or subdue an enraged Mia, Anthony is standing in front of Nisi, Akil on one side of her, Jake the other, and they're fighting to keep her in place and quickly losing that fight. Nobody is with Josh though, and Dumbledore gulps as the teen just stands there, staring at him, not blinking.

 

“We are not the group of assassins, and if we were, do you honestly believe you or Severus would be alive with the number of times you have insulted or attacked us?” Josh answers the original question before intertwining one of his hands with Nisi's, who reacts immediately and stops fighting against the boys, and intertwines the other with Mia's, who tensely steps up to his side and snuggles as close as she can while still glaring at Dumbledore. The six that tried to stop the girls usher the three onto the fireplace. Everyone else is left staring and wondering why that question made them react like that. Josh looks around the living room of Barron Castle and makes one more split second decision. “Alright, those who need to, take a shower. Everyone needs to grab their uniforms. I need someone to sneak into Grimmauld for me later tonight. Everyone needs to be ready by two.”

 

“Jay and I can get into Grimmauld easily. We have a deal with Kreacher.” Nisi nods, volunteering immediately.

 

“Who are we hitting?” Al asks before anyone else can speak.

 

“The Dursleys. Number 4, Privet Dr, Little Whingey, Surrey.”

 

“Who are they?” Nisi actually starts dreading the answer after the question leaves her mouth.

 

“Aunt and uncle of Harry's.”

 

“Why are we hitting Harry's aunt and uncle?” Draco and Cate are just watching the volleyball game of questions, each one right after the other, Josh answering without a moment of hesitation. Draco sips his hot chocolate, finding that it's the only thing that helps him and Cate get through the fear during one of the groups raids.

 

“I know they're beating him, and I think they might have gone further. He wouldn't answer anything honestly, and before I could determine if they had raped him or not Severus opened his mouth and Nisi did her creepy voice thingy.” Draco inhales some of the chocolate, coughing violently when it goes down the wrong side. Everyone turns to him, startled and worried. Once he regains his breathing capabilities, he freaks out.

 

“Oh gods, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh gods.”

 

“Draco?” He doesn't see who called out to him, and is to hysteric to care. “What have I done? He’s the Boy Who Lived, the Golden Boy.” Cate grabs his shoulders and shakes a little. His head snaps up and everyone is shocked to see he looks terrified.

 

“Draco?” It's Nisi calling out to him.

 

“I was such a dick. I was worse than that. I constantly bullied and belittled him, thinking he was privileged everywhere he went. I thought he was treated like a prince at home, raised knowing he was better than everyone.” His voice is shaky but no one moves to comfort him, wanting him to continue his thoughts and realize that he was wrong. “I- fuck, he was abused? And you think raped? Why did you guys keep me alive?” Okay, that was not what they wanted to hear.

 

“Did you know he was abused? No. That's why you're alive. You are not a bad person, you've just done bad things, but so has everyone else.” Jake tells the teen, sincerity clear in his voice and eyes.

 

“I want to come tonight.” He asserts, trying to make sure there are no arguments.

 

“I want to as well.” Cate speaks up, her voice steadier than Draco's. “Are they magical or no?”

 

“No they're not.” Josh shakes his head.

 

“Then there is no danger and no reason for us to stay behind.”

 

“There is a very big reason for you to stay behind.” Akil’s voice is grave and dark.

 

“It’s not going to be pretty when we find the extent of the damage they've done.”

 

“If you think Josh and I are bloody now, you're in for a surprise.”

 

“Especially if they have raped the boy.”

 

“It will be gory and messy.”

 

“And loud.”

 

“And we will seems completely unhinged and mental.”

 

“And it will not be quick.”

 

“We still want to come.” Cate firmly retorts, not letting up. Draco agrees quickly.

 

“Let them.” Charlotte says before the others can try to dissuade them once more. “They need mask and clothes.” It's nearing midnight when Jay and Nisi enter Grimmauld and nod at the house elf at the foot of the stairs.

 

“Kreacher, is Sirius in bed?” Jay asks, a simple charm to keep his voice from traveling too far.

 

“No, Master is in the kitchen with the werewolf Lupin and the redhead twins.”

 

“Ooh, perfect.” Nisi squeals, bouncing a little on her toes. “Thank you Kreacher.” She bends a little and kisses his forehead, before sauntering into the dreary kitchen. She spins a chair around and straddles it, effectively startling those sitting at the table.

 

“How’d you get in?”

 

“Kreacher likes us.” Jay answers Sirius with an exasperated sigh.

 

“You need to leave.” They gape at Nisi who is staring at Sirius intently.

 

“What?”

 

“You need to leave this house, get a new one.  Harry can't live here, he needs someplace happy, open, lots and lots of space.”

 

“What?”

 

“Syn, shut up.” Jay punches her shoulder, rolling his eyes. “Harry cannot stay at the Dursley's anymore. He will live with you from now on.”

 

“What?”

 

“Oh my gods.” Nisi groans, her head falling back slightly. “Sirius Orion Black, your godson, Harry James Potter, will be living with you. The Dursleys are not fit guardians and will no longer house the boy. In fact they will house no one and it will take days for a cleaning crew to even make that house marginally hospitable once again.”

 

“Hit on the Dursley house?” Fred looks between the two in surprise.

 

“Why?” George asks, voice hard with a dangerous edge that makes the two adults do a double take.

 

“Absolute proof of abuse, possible signs of more.” Jay replies, sounding just as dangerous.

 

“Sirius, you have three days tomorrow to find a new home.”

 

“Three?”

 

“He gets out of school in three days Sirius.” Nisi sighs at the older man who flushes bright red then nods.

 

“Alright, Rem and I will start looking in the morning.”

 

“If you need help, stop by Gringotts and ask for Madam Ironfist. Tell her Lady Barron sent you and you need help finding a house.”

 

“What did you mean ‘possible signs of more’?” Remus grimly interrupts.

 

“Is there a distinct reason you never checked on Harry growing up?” Jay asks, all traces of humor gone.

 

“I couldn't go near the house with the wards that were up.”

 

“School, grocery, anything?” Jay continues, unrelenting on the subject. Remus stammers and doesn't respond for a moment.

 

“I took Dumbledore's word for it, and since the wards did keep me out, figured he was right and everything was okay.”

 

“Nothing was okay. We said possibly more because we won't know until later. Josh was in the process of asking Harry, but Severus decided to accuse us of murder, then Dumblefuck tried to attack Josh's mind like he did to mine earlier. We got sidetracked, but got enough info and leads to act now.” Nisi’s voice starts out soft and reassuring and ends malicious and unwavering.

 

“Are you guys the assassins?” Sirius asks, catching the tone that promised pain.

 

“No.” Jay replies, sounding bored.

 

“But, they just asked if you were hitting the Dursleys?”

 

“Dumblefuck attacks minds. No we are not the assassins.”

 

“What?”

 

“George, Fred, are you two coming over tonight?” Nisi changes the subject before they can argue.

 

“Yeah”

 

“We’ll head over”

 

“Right now.”

* * *

 

A clock chimes two and 21 cloaked and masked figures stand outside a cookie cutter house. The one with a powder blue Roc mask lazily sends a spell to the upper floor, waking the sole woman of the house. They wait, listening to the woman slowly descend the stairs and move into the kitchen. Water runs and the moment it turns off, Jaguar begins knocking on the door and doesn't stop, just continuously raps her knuckles against it. Lemur, Nundu, Monkey, and Dragon exchange confused glances. Since when do they knock? The door cracks open and a thin, blonde, horse faced, woman peeks out.

 

“Petunia Dursley?” Jaguar's androgynous voice draws her attention to the masks and she gapes for a moment. “We're here to talk about Harry Potter.” Petunia glares and goes to slam the door in Jaguar's face. A black gloved hand stops it an inch from shutting. Jaguar flings it open, slamming it against the wall with enough force that it becomes slightly unhinged. Viper and Tiger move simultaneously, flowing by Jaguar, Viper pushing Petunia backwards and Tiger summoning a chair from the kitchen that slams into Petunia’s back, knocking the wind from her. Rope wraps around her ankles and arms, tying her to the chair with no wiggle room.

 

“Don’t you know how to properly receive guest Dursley?” Viper asks, lilac mask showing an accurate description of the smirk she actually wears. A loud thud is heard from upstairs and 21 masks turn upwards and track the noise as it follows the same path Petunia made before they entered. The moment he catches sight of the intruders Phoenix motions towards him.

 

“Grab the-” The yellow, smirking, mask tilts as Phoenix cocks her head, “walrus and help him join his wife.” Anaconda and Crocodile grab an arm each and drag him into another chair, tying him much like his wife.

 

“Don't they have a son?” Monkey asks through a maroon mask.

 

“Dudley isn't here. He's at a friend's!” Petunia shrieks. Lemur feels disappointed, glad his fuchsia mask covers that. Then 17 identical malicious laughs fill the room.

 

“Sure about that?” Lion questions, catching his breath.

 

“So you won't mind if we check upstairs?” Bat speaks next.

 

“Second bedroom on the right?” Wolverine chimes in.

 

“Will the little piggy be scared of a big bad kitty?” The laughter gets louder as Lynx talks.

 

“Jaguar, Coyote, get the pig.” Wolf nods at the two who immediately bound up the steps. Roc waves her hand casually, giving them a clear view through the wall so they can watch them. Jaguar grips the door handle and yanks, ripping it from the hinges and throwing it down the stairs. Coyote walks in and pulls the startled boy out of bed and onto the floor. He scrambles to his feet, and they let him as they circle the boy, taunting, just waiting, wanting him to give them a reason. He does within seconds. Coyote stops the fist flying at Jaguar and snaps it at the elbow. Jaguar knocks the teen on his ass, grabs an ankle, and drags him out of the room, down the stairs, and into the living room where she picks him up by the hair until he has his feet under him and Coyote shoves him onto the couch. Ropes explode from the cracks and secure him to the piece of furniture, one at his ankles, knees, waist, chest, and throat, making sure to jostle his elbow.

 

“Bat, you brought it right?” Wolf turns to the dark blue Bat who hold us a vial of clear liquid. “If they don't answer truthfully get ready to use that.”

 

“We’re going to give you one opportunity to be honest, and if we believe you are lying or withholding anything we will pour that down your throats and watch as you spill every secret.” Hellhound reclines backwards in a conjured chair, Jaguar creates another and straddling it beside him. The others take up various positions of relaxation throughout the room, Owl and Roc hopping up on the pristine kitchen counters.

 

“First question for Vernon Dursley. Did you physically abuse Harry James Potter?”

 

“That freak deserved to be beat.” Vernon responds to Fox angrily, face turning purple. Her hand shoots out and his head snaps to the side, cracking into the back of the chair when her open palm connects.

 

“Not the question Vernon.” She chides with a small chuckle. “But an answer I suppose.”

 

“First question for Petunia Dursley. Did you ever hurt Harry for no valid reason?”

 

“There was always a reason.” She spits at Owl who's foot snaps out, reaching her ribs.

 

“I said valid reason. She'll need the truth serum for sure.” Owl muses, her foot returning to its original place.

 

“First question for Dudley Dursley. Did you ever harm Harry just because you could?”

 

“He’s a freak!” Cobra shakes his head at the answer to his question and grabs Dudley’s hair, pulling aways from the couch. Dudley starts gasping for air as the rope around his throat tying him to the couch, doesn’t budge at all. Petunia starts screaming at them to leave her baby alone. Cobra stops before he can fall unconscious.

 

“I wanted a yes or no answer.” He sighs at the muggle. “I think that serum is going to be mandatory for all of them.” Bat nods and approaches each Dursley, placing three drops on each of their tongues. Seventeen people interrogate them for nearly an hour with the other four throwing in a random question every once in awhile. Their anger builds as the list of offenses grows until they only have one question left, one they left for the very end so the moment they answer they will be fully aware once more and can feel everything they intend to inflict. Jaguar spits it at the three, venom dripping off of every syllable.

 

“Did you rape, help someone rape, or allow someone to rape Harry, and if so, which are you guilty of.”

 

“I raped Harry, and allowed and helped Dudley rape him.”

 

“I allowed and helped both Vernon and Dudley rape Harry.”

 

“I raped Harry, allowed and helped Vernon rape Harry.”

 

“Fucking hell Wolf, you had to promise Harry I wouldn't kill them?” Jaguar snarls, making the three coming to to shriek and in Dudley’s case, lose control over his bladder.

 

“You can supervise.” He reassures her, tense with anger.

 

“Well go, let me supervise.” Jaguar growls,  moving in between the four others.

 

“Elders first?” Lion ask, grabbing Vernon and shoving the now freed man into a wall while willing spikes to pin his hand and ankle to hold him in place.

 

“What about Ladies first?” Wolverine does the same to Petunia on the opposite wall.

 

“Nah, youngest first.” Jaguar calls out, creating a dome like shield over her and the four beside her as Lynx pins Dudley to the wall. Jaguar looks on either side of her. “This is the part where you might want to look away or close your eyes, maybe even step out.” They all shake their head, unwilling to not see this through. Viper moves and removes both Vernon and Petunia’s eyelids, not allowing them to look away from the scene.

 

“Don’t touch my son with your freakish magic!” Vernon roars at the intruders who laugh.

 

“I find it interesting that you think we have to use magic to hurt him. Watch, watch as we don't use a drop of magic to rip your precious boy to shreds.” Tiger says, trailing a finger down his cheek, following the path of blood that came from his eyelids. The screaming begins as a few of the masked figures descend on the youngest boy spiked to the wall. Nundu realizes rather soon why Jaguar had put that shield up as fingers and chunks of skin splat against it. The screaming doesn't stop even long after the boy should be unconscious or dead with the amount of organs and other pieces of his body being flung around. Jaguar gets up after about half an hour and wades through the gore to approach the soul still stuck to the wall somehow. Drawing two black swords, the soul gives one last scream before tearing in two and getting sucked into the blades. She turns back to where she was sitting and cocks her head. Lemur moves so Dragon is on the outside and pats between him and Monkey, telling her that even in her blood soaked state she still has a spot. She glides in, drawing everyone's attention at the grace of the movement, even while weighed down by gore.

 

“How the hell are you that graceful, yet still able to trip and break your nose other times?”

 

“It’s a talent.” Jaguar chuckles at Dragon’s amazement.

 

“Next?” Coyote asks the onlookers, an amused lit to the androgynous voice.

 

“Ladies?” Nundu shrugs, feeling like she should be disgusted by what she's watching, not satisfied. Wolverine nods before snapping gloved fingers and Petunia screams when shattering noises start.

 

“Now that is magic Dursley.” Viper calls with an enraptured tone. The magic coursing from Wolverine washes over the room, making several people tilt their heads backwards at the power rush, even Nundu can feel it and that gives Jaguar and Wolf pause. They exchange a glance before howling, the masks making it sound terrifying.

 

“Why did we not think of that?!” Wolf asks as Jaguar gets up and does a little happy dance, going outside the shield to keep from splashing the onlookers.

 

“What?” Fox looks between the two odd people.

 

“Later. Promise.” Jaguar waves her off before returning to her seat. Fox shrugs and points a solitary finger at the pinned woman, a quick flick downwards has Petunia’s skin beginning to peel off. Her screams rise in pitch and fevor, losing some of its human qualities. Soon all that's left is, again, the soul of the being. Jaguar goes to stand up, but Monkey and Lemur stop her, and hold out their hands for her swords. Her head is tilted but she relents, giving the black blades to them. They approach the soul and stab, one in the neck, the other the gut, and watch as it rips and is pulled into the swords. Nearly dropping the blades, they stare at the energy and power filling their veins. “Wanna give them back anytime soon?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“But we suppose”

 

“That if we don't”

 

“They would kill us.”

 

“They would.” Crocodile nods. “Jaguar, Hellhound, Phoenix, and Wolf are the only ones who can wield them for extended periods of time without losing their souls.”

 

“Damn.” Monkey mutters, reluctantly giving them back before standing inside the shield. Nundu rolls her eyes under the mask, grabs Monkey's arm, and tugs him down beside her, wedging herself between him and Jaguar. Dragon motions for Lemur to sit next to Jaguar, liking the edge now that he has it.

 

“Now the last.” Anaconda says as they all look at Vernon simultaneously.

 

“You have an hour until sunrise.” Jaguar reminds them.

 

“I want to help.” Monkey joins the 16 standing around, Lemur joins him. They tear into Vernon, using magic to set the nerves on fire. They draw it out, nearing 45 minutes when they finally allow Jaguar to rip the soul in half with her swords.

 

“Okay, we're done.” Roc turns to Nundu and Dragon still sitting on the couch.

 

“Wait. One last thing.” Jaguar holds up a finger before raising her open palm towards the ceiling. 

 

“ _ Morsmordre. _ ” Dragon stares at her in shock.

 

“How do you know that spell?”

 

“We've killed a lot of DE’s. Most of them knew the spell.” Jaguar shrugs. “Can we go home? I'm exhausted.”

 

“Yeah. Let's go.” Hellhound throws an arm over her shoulders and draws her close. The group pulls the shadows around them and travel to the Castle, leaving the Dark Mark hanging over Number 4, Privet Dr.

 

It's nine in the morning, the same day, when Remus floos into the Castle, looking for the occupants. Ginny comes through a moment later, surprising him.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“I snuck by.” She shrugs before walking out of the room and down a hall. She opens a door and glances around confused.

 

“What?”

 

“This is Fred's room. He should be here.” She moves to the next and knocks. It's cracked open and Ginny comes face to face with a sleepily glaring Quinn. “Hi.” Quinn just lifts an eyebrow. “Dumbledore is calling for a meeting

.” The older girl groans at that.

 

“Gods fucking dammit. Damn goat fucker.” Her head thuds against the doorframe and Jay turns over to look at the girl in a tanktop and shorts.

 

“Q?”

 

“Godsforsaken meeting.” She snarls and he flops backwards onto the bed, groaning. He stumbles up and follows Quinn out into the hallway. Ginny and Remus watch as Quinn bangs on the wall, then promptly slides down it. Jay flops down beside her, both leaning their heads against the wall.

 

“Long night?” Remus asks gently.

 

“Got home ‘bout 6 this mornin’.” Jay grumbles.

 

“Didn't get to actual bed till ‘bout 630, 7ish.” Quinn finishes as other doors crack open.

 

“Fred?” Ginny eyes widen when her older brother steps out of Louis’s room. He just cracks a eyes at her. “George?” George glances up from in between Alex and Cate, both leaning heavily on him.

 

“Wha’s happenin’?” Mia slurs, scrubbing at her eyes.

 

“Dumblefuck, meeting.” Jay mutters.

 

“All?” Jake asks, eyes fluttering shut. Jay shrugs and looks up at Remus.

 

“Yeah, all of you.” Groans echo around the hallway.

 

“Dray, Cate, stay here. Doesn't concern you.” Kana yawns.

 

“I think if I was more awake that wou’ be offen’in’.” Cate comments as she stumbles to Draco's side, Fred and George join the two teens, George never once moving his arm from Cate's shoulders.

 

“I think if I’s more ‘wake I'd say it diff’rent.” Kana mumbles as they move to the fireplace. When the group reaches the kitchen, they plop down into various positions clustered around each other. Some take chairs, some sit on the floor ranging around the chairs, all in groups of two or three. Anthony and Nisi set chairs side by side, Kana sits in Anthony's lap, her head on his shoulder, her feet in Nisi's lap. The adults stare at their tired state, some of them accusingly.

 

“And why are you exhausted?”

 

“Hello Sev’rus.” Several of them chime in ranging degrees of disgust, yawns, and loath, remembering their promise to Blane.

 

“We stayed up playin’ video games after Diagon.” Blane mutters with a roll of his eyes.

 

“Didn't realise how long we played til sun came up.” Marylin says, curled into Blane’s side.

 

“Wha’s so important that all’a us had’ta be present?” Akil calls out, yawning at the end.

 

“Early this morning, the Dark Mark was found over the Dursley's residence. They were brutally slaughtered sometime last night.” Gasps ring out at Dumbledore's statement. Ali looks around confused.

 

“Who’re they?” She asks, eyebrows furrowed.

 

“Harry's family.”

 

“Oh. Does he know?”

 

“Not yet. We haven't found a good time to tell him.”

 

“Why didn't you warn us Sev’rus? Surely this should’ve been somethin’ that Voldemort would discuss with people?” Monifa takes over the conversation as Ali nods off a little.

 

“If so, he did not discuss it with me.” He sneers at her.

 

“Who cares?” Mia interrupts. “I still don't see why you called all’a us.”

 

“We need to figure out who Harry is to stay with now.” The group of secret assassins tense slightly as Nisi jerks a little, looking up to glare at the old man.

 

“What do you mean ‘we need to figure out’? His godfather is sitting right there.” She jabs her thumb in Sirius's direction. Her voice is quickly going from thick and sleepy to wide awake.

 

“Should we stop her?” Al mumbles from where his head rest on the table.

 

“Prob’ly.” Jake replies.

 

“Are we?” Louis cracks an eye open.

 

“Nope.” Alex snuggles deeper into his side.

 

“She's awake anyways.” Nisi’s twin leans backwards, popping his neck.

 

“Yup, her adrenaline is running now. She's pissed.” Anthony agrees with Josh, wrapping his arms around Kana when she removes her feet from Nisi's lap. Nisi completely ignores her friends’ conversation.

 

“Sirius is an escaped convict.”

 

“Shut up Molly, I was not asking you. And I do not want to hear your voice this early in the morning.” Molly bristles, outraged at Nisi's bland tone and lack of respect.

 

“I am your elder!” Nisi pats herself down and starts looking around, searching for something.

 

“I can't seem to find any fucks to give. Any of you got a spare?” She turns and looks over her friends. “Of course not, you guys are still passed out.” She turns back to Molly. “Guess you're out of luck. I don't give a fuck how old you are. Sirius, were you given a trial and convicted?”

 

“No.”

 

“Never convicted, never given a trial, never disowned, Sirius Black still has all of his rights, that includes custody over his godson.” Nisi lists off in a bored tone.

 

“Sirius is too immature to take care of a teenage child.”

 

“Again, Molly, shut up. Dumbledore, you will give Harry to Sirius or I will make sure you are charged with kidnapping.” Charlotte perks up at that and watches Nisi closely, getting excited when the younger girl's eyes get a devious sparkle. “Siri, did you by any chance blood adopt or name Harry as your heir?” Charlotte’s ice blue eyes widen at that implication.

 

“I did both. Why?”

 

“Dumbledore, you cannot legally take Harry away from Sirius or you will be charged with kidnapping the Heir of an Most Ancient and Noble house. I will make sure of it.”

 

“He is still on the run.” At Dumbledore's calm insistence, Nisi grins, pure malice and danger etched into every curve of her lips.

 

“Charlotte, if we reinstated our seats tonight, do you think we could have Sirius cleared of all charges by the time Harry needs to stay with someone?”

 

“Without a doubt.” Charlotte smirks, echoing the malice and danger, but mixed with pure joy. “Politics?” At Nisi's nod, she squeals, gets up, does a little happy dance, and returns back to her original position, once again looking bored.

 

“Awesome, well is there anything else or was there just that murder and the change in guardianship?”

 

“No just that.” Dumbledore sighs.

 

“Alright, I want a nap before the Ministry.” She stands, pulling Kana with her. “Let’s go.”


	4. Nisi Hates Politics

Alex relaxes, trusting Charlotte as the older girl adds the finishing touches to whatever she was doing to Alex’s face and hair.

“There. All done.” Charlotte backs up, tugging the redhead to her feet.

“Perfect as usual Char.” She smiles, brushing the dress down a little, looking in the body length mirror.

“I’m just glad you still let me do this.”

“Why wouldn't I? It makes me feel pampered and it's very relaxing. Reminds me of the goods parts of being a princess.” Alex hugs the tall girl in the form fitting, grey, sweater dress. “Wanna go check on the others?”

“Yeah let’s.” Linking arms, the two girls exit Alex’s room and move to the kitchen, the others waiting in there. Nisi is wearing an old retro dress, the top half black, the skirt piece white with black polka dots, an emerald green belt at her waist, and pastel green heels she stole out of Kana’s closet. Kana herself is in a pastel blue/green collared dress that hits midthigh, a pastel flower crown in her short messy black hair, black tights and spiked close toed white wedges. Charlotte runs an eye over Jay. She sighs heavily, making him grin. “At least they don’t have holes.” She allows the jeans, knowing she won’t get any better with him. Eyeing the suspenders on Mia, she shrugs. The girl can pull off the dress pants, suspenders and white dress shirt, red flats as an accent color, rather well. The others get a quick cursory glance over, before nodding her acquiescence, deeming them ready to go. They each have their areas of leadership. With the twins, it’s their hits and duels, training too. Jake’s is when they deal with any type of animal or beast. Potions is Blane’s and Healing is Marylin’s. The moment they step into the Ministry, she is in charge, they follow her lead in there. Charlotte straightens out her dress one last time, then steps through the floo. Stepping off to the side, she waits for the others to come through before heading to the front desk.

“Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, what are you here for?” The receptionist asks, bored, without looking up.

“We’re here to claim our Wizengamot seats.”

“Alright, take your badge, second floor, you’re looking for the Wizengamot list officer, Timothy Halker. He deals with the new seats.” Charlotte nods and takes the badges, moving to the elevators.

“She was pleasant.” Al murmurs as they walk away, causing a few chuckles. Charlotte feels pride bubble up when her friends ignore the stares, which they garner a lot of, and carry on normal conversations with one another. Jake slips his hand in hers, a small, knowing smile directed at her. She smiles back, kissing his cheek softly. The doors open and the group exits, laughing at something Jay had said. Making their way to the correct office, they keep up a stream of conversation, both to distract themselves from the stares and to keep them occupied.

“Come in.” A voice calls when Charlotte knocks on a door with Timothy’s name on it. “What can I do for you today?” He asks, looking up at her.

“We desire to reinstate our seats on the Wizengamot.” She motions to herself and her friends easily.

“And what seats would those be?”

“La Belle, Waters, Atun, Koi, Baker, Madders, Sujenna, Traore, Summers, Ó Ceallaigh, Vela, Vladimir, Bali, Martell, White, de Rege, and Barron.” The first name had his head snapping up and by the end he seemed to be having a heart attack.

“Do you have proof?”

“Besides our Head rings? If you desired to do an inheritance test, that would be adequate proof as well.”

“You each have the intended Head ring?”

“Yes.”

“Those Houses still require the test with alongside the rings.” Charlotte lifts an eyebrow, waiting. He scrambles up and heads to the door. “If you would just wait a moment for me to get the test administrator.” The moment the door closes soft laughter fills the room.

“Damn Char, I thought he was going to die on us for a moment there.” Jay grins at the platinum blonde, who smirks.

“Who do you think the admin is?” Louis asks, picking at the end of his collared shirt. Kana smacks his hands away and he smiles sheepishly at her. 

“Guess we'll have to-” The door reopens and Timothy enters with an old goblin rushing him along. “ _Good day sir.”_ Charlotte immediately switches to Goblebrook making Timothy and the goblin to start at the noise.

“ _Good day miss.”_ He returns slightly suspicious at the knowledge. “ _And what House are you intending to be Head of?”_

_“la Belle.”_

_“Please insert your hand into the sphere.”_ Charlotte doesn't hesitate, just automatically responds to the ancient goblin, making him blink rapidly. There's a prick in the center of her palm and a scroll appears, Gobledegook being written on it in red. After a few minutes the words ‘Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of la Belle’ form and the goblin sizes her up. Charlotte knows why. She should be 20 years older than she is. “She is the who she says she is. Lady la Belle please step back so the other may perform the same test.” She does as she's asked, her fingers wrap around Nisi's wrist though, wanting her to go last. The shorter girl nods her understanding. Once everyone else has gone, Charlotte let's her go and waits, preparing for an outburst. Nisi calmly walks up and places her hand into the object, showing no hesitation, just as they have all done, even though she has reason to be hesitant. Charlotte has half of her attention on the goblin and the other half on the scroll as gold starts sprawling across the paper and not red. “ _Sweet Mother.”_ The goblin mutters, eyes wide.

“Why is hers gold? The others weren't gold?” Timothy stutters.

“The Most Ancient and Noble House of Barron always has had gold inheritance test.” They don't show their surprise that he just blatantly lied to the man.

“Oh. So she is the Head? She is Lady Barron?”

“Yes.” He breathes. “She is. _She is also so much more.”_ He looks up at the girl, trying to hide his enrapture.

“ _You are Madam Ironfist’s cousin, correct? Blackdagger?”_

_“How do you know her?”_

_“She is the manager of my vault. She knows me rather well, if you have questions you don't feel comfortable asking me.”_  

“They are who they say they are. The seats are theirs.”

“Thank you Blackdagger. That’s all.” Timothy dismisses the aging goblin, not bothering to hide his discomfort and disgust. Charlotte watches as Nisi fights the urge to sneer at the man. Blackdagger sees it as well. Electric blue eyes flick up to meets ice blue. Charlotte gives a little nod, hoping she was reading her correctly. She sighs relieved as Nisi proves her right. The golden blonde places a hand over her heart and bows at the leaving goblin.

_“May your enemies fall beneath your blade.”_ His eyes widen slightly before returning the bow. 

“ _May your enemies’ blood flow quick and your gold flow quicker.”_ With one final curious, stunned glance around, he leaves. 

“Well, the seats are yours. We will hold a Wizengamot meeting tomorrow at noon to induct you. Is that satisfactory?”

“Yes it is. Thank you Lord Halker. See you tomorrow.” 

“You as well Lady. Lords, Ladies, have a pleasant day.”

* * *

 

Nisi grabs Charlotte’s hands, stopping them from once more fidgeting with the older girl's green lace sleeves.

“It's going to be fine.”

“Dumbledore’s in there.”

“And he will kiss our asses soon.” Charlotte fidgets again. “Char, we look better than every person in there. We know more than every person in there. We have more money than every person in there put together. We have more power in one of our left pinky nails than that entire room. This will work. It always has for us and it always will for us. We run this show. This is Our world.” She nods, releasing her breath.

“Thanks Syn.” Nisi smiles as Charlotte presses coral pink lips against her cheek. The doors open as Dumbledore begins talking inside.

“Today we reinstate 17 seats that have been empty for far too long.” Timothy stands up and starts reading down a list going in backwards ABC order for some odd reason. Nisi pauses until she realizes that he literally did so just to keep her for last and she wants to snarl except Charlotte is watching her. So she just shrugs and prepares to wait.

“Lord White. Lord Waters. Lord Vladimir. Lady Vela. Lady Traore. Lady Summers. Lady Sujenna. Lord de Rege. Lady Ó Ceallaigh. Lord Martell. Lord Madders. Lady Koi. Lady la Belle. Lord Bali.” Akil, Al, and Quinn all glance at Nisi who looks stunned before visibly bristling. Al leaves quickly enough nobody notices his pause. “Lady Baker.”

“Slytherin Nis.” She nods at Akil’s reminder, shoving her irritation down under a bored facade.

“Lord Atun.” She's all alone and she wants to scream and rage and throw a temper tantrum at his idiocy. She can feel his excitement and she wants to gut him. “Lady Barron.” Smoothing down the purple dress, she enters the chamber amidst whispering and shock, calmly making her way to the seat behind Anthony and beside Josh. Dumblefuck is staring in shock and she couldn't care less. She's furious, and her friends shoot her knowing looks, even as she fights to keep the rest of the room from noticing. This is why she leaves politics to Charlotte. They just like her name, money, and power, and while she can play the part, it's stifling and frustrating. After sitting, she zones out of the conversation, not caring about the words, and focuses on the emotions, finding out what makes them tick, finding the greedy, self serving ones, imagining killing Timothy. She imagines it, knowing she won’t actually kill him. He isn't worth it or guilty of anything but greed and attention seeking. When it is finally concluded, Nisi shoves down the irritation again as the other people in the room lounge about. She knows damn well these people would normally just go home, but they want to rub shoulders and shake hands with her and her friends. They slowly make way through the crowd, smiling, laughing, nodding when expected. She watches as Charlotte craftily slides herself and Ali in front of Timothy, blocking his path to her. Using the opportunity, she moves farther away, slipping more people between her and the guy her mind is presently calling her mortal enemy. She makes it out and reclines against a wall in nearby shadows, needing a quick break.

“Hello Lady Barron.” Nisi looks up, trying not to roll her eyes. She's rather glad she did too.

“Hello Madam Bones. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Just curious, and I wanted to introduce myself.”

“I'll take curiosity over greed anyday Madam.” Nisi smiles at the older woman, relieved that there really was no greed in the woman. 

“You don't have to answer, but I was wondering why you are just now taking your position.”

“We were living in the states. It came to our attention recently the troubles Britain was going through and our first day here actually happened to be the Ministry Fiasco with Harry Potter and Voldemort.” Madam Bones’ eyebrows raise at her use of Voldemort's name. “We had intended to stay in the shadows, not become a big part of everything here so we could just slip back home when it was finished. Recently though, something caught our attention and ire, at least on my part. We were there, we saw Sirius Black save Harry and those other teens, yet he is said to be a danger to the boy. We didn't understand, it didn't make any sense to us. So we looked it up. Searched records, old newspapers, everything. This is truly where my ire sparked. We found countless articles naming his supposed crimes and guilt, but not one record of his trial. And we searched and searched and searched.” Nisi pauses, studying Bones’ emotions, trying to find a place to pick at. Finding one, she presses just a tad more. “Sirius Black nearly fell into the Veil of Death trying to protect Harry, who he blood adopted and named his Heir when Harry wasn't even a year old yet.” Nisi catches the flash of worry that Bones doesn't let reach her face and presses more. “The fact that the, at the time, Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, now the only living person of said house, was imprisoned for 12 years until he broke out, and wasn't given a trial, concerns me. There is no telling what truly happened.” Now there's a tinge of suspicion, both towards her and the lack of trial. “Sorry, I must sound like I'm attempting to be threatening or blackmailing.” Nisi winces. “Sometimes I just talk without thinking. If I offended you, I truly regret it Madam Bones, Charlotte is much better at politics than me.” Bones smiles at her, which she returns, beaming, making sure it looks innocent and happy to be forgiven.

“No worries, Lady Barron, I understand what you meant.”

“Oh thank goodness. I was afraid you would just blow me off.”

“Of course not. Was that your only concern?”

“Um, well, you see.” Nisi starts, acting sheepish and embarrassed. “I saw the order for Black to be kissed on sight, and I really don't want to insult you or sound like I doubt you, but I was wondering if it is possible for him to get an actual trial before something so rash is done?” She trails her voice off, sounding a bit insecure and young. 

“It does make sense." 

“And we’d actually find out what happened.” Nisi bounces a little on her heels, beaming at the woman.

“I will certainly see to it and try to get it done Lady Barron.”

“Thank you so much Madam Bones, I really appreciate it.” A few minutes after Bones leaves, Josh and Charlotte walk over to Nisi.

“Well?” Josh asks, studying his twin.

“Hook, line, and sinker.”

* * *

 

“Day three. Harry comes home later today. Did you find a house Sirius?”

“Yeah. I went to Madam Ironfist yesterday and found the perfect one.” Sirius answers Marylin with a smile.

“And you trust us enough to walk you into the Ministry?” Al asks, before cursing when he trips going through the living room doorway.

“Yeah.” Several eyes rolls at his not so convincing tone.

“Thanks Siri.” Nisi scoffs, pulling knee high dragonhide boots over her dark skinny jeans, her top is a dark purple long sleeve shirt that hits a little above her mid thigh and laces up the sides with a soft gray tank under the form fitting shirt to keep the plunging neckline from being scandalous. Hopping to her feet, she pulls him to the fireplace. Josh floos into the home.

“They brought her.” Charlotte nods at him and motions him back through, following moments after.

“Your turn.” Nisi lightly pushes Sirius forward. She goes next, automatically sliding her arm into Sirius's proffered, Charlotte on his other side. Anthony and Josh are walking in front of them, Jake and Mia behind. The others are in a sort of circle around the small group as the walk towards Ali and Monifa who are standing with Madam Bones.

“Do you think she'll realize I played her?”

“If she does, I hope she doesn't hate you for it. She is the Head of the DMLE after all.”

“Yeah, considering our job, that might be a good thing.” Nisi heaves a sigh. “Well, here goes nothing. Sirius, do not get up there and say it was your fault. I don't care if you do blame yourself. They will use it against you in a heartbeat. Do not be a fucking martyr Siri, facts not opinions."

The moment Nisi steps out of the Ministry Anthony tugs her into a hug and just stays there, waiting for the tension to decrease.

“Syn?” Charlotte approaches her and lays a hand on her shoulder. “You're done. No more meetings except for the Biannual Meetings that are mandatory.” Sirius is standing back a little, still unsure what's going on. He was free but Synkínisi seems frustrated, annoyed, exhausted.

“She hates politics.” Al murmurs, coming up beside him. 

“Loathes it.” Akil agrees.

“But she still does it.” Alex sighs, joining them.

“And she's great at it.” Louis continues. 

“She only does it for Charlotte.” Josh points out before moving to his sister. He rubs a small circle in her upper back, easing her discomfort, calming her irritation. She takes a deep breath, and pulls away. She smiles brightly up at Anthony and Charlotte, reassuring them.

“Oh crap. Siri.” She calls looking at the older man. “When does Harry get off the train?”

“Five minutes.” A quick tempus charm informs him.

“Can't apparate on the platform.” Remus sighs.

“Who wants to apparate?” Jay grins then the two older men realize they're all grinning the same way. They start when shadows seem to ooze around them, wrapping around the 17 teens, and when Jake grabs Remus’s wrist and Kana grabs Sirius's, the inky shadows wrap around them as well. Blackness closes in and they feel like they're on one of the carts at Gringotts, whipping through the air. When they stop moving and the darkness clears, both stumble slightly.

“What was that?”

“We call it shadow travel." 

“Nisi and Anthony taught us.” Sirius has no idea who is speaking, they're all walking towards the train that's pulling up. Nisi growls under her breath when Molly and Arthur Weasley starts advancing on them.

“See, this is exactly what I mean. Running late. He could be stuck here for hours with your immaturity.”

“Well considering he was getting his record cleared and proved innocent so he could take better care of him, and made it here before Harry stepped off the train, I don't see your point.” Kana says in a bored tone with a slick ‘fuck you’ undertone. Harry gets off the train just then and makes his way to them, panicking at the sight of Sirius.

“What are you doing?” He harshly whispers upon reaching them.

“I’m cleared of all charges and proven innocent. Also, I have custody over you and am your legal guardian.” Harry's face splits into a large grin at the information.

“What? No, Dumbledore told me that he would be coming home with us!” Molly shrieks, reaching for Harry's arm. Nisi's hand shoots out and grabs her wrist, yanking her sideways and off balance. Molly cries out in pain before recoiling at the rage and disgust in the purple flecked, blue eyes.

“Do not ever attempt to repeat that action.” She snarls at the redhead matriarch. “I will take your hand next time.” She's still glaring when Dumbledore makes an appearance.

“Miss Barron-”

“Lady Barron.” Charlotte corrects smoothly.

“Lady Barron, please release Mrs. Weasley.”

“Tell her Harry is going with Sirius and I might not break it.”

“Molly, Harry is going with Sirius.”

“But Albus, you told me-” She stops with a whimper as Nisi gives her wrist a painful twist.

“Dear Albus was wrong.” The snarl that exits Nisi's lips startles the woman.

“I was.” Dumbledore nods. “Harry goes with Sirius, Molly.

“Fine.” At her acceptance, Nisi releases her wrist and wipes her hand on her jeans subconsciously.

* * *

 

Draco pokes his head into the living room, and knocks on the wall when he sees who he's looking for.

“Am I interrupting?” Monifa and Ali look up at him.

“Nope. Come on in.”

“What can we help you with little one?” He rubs the back of his neck.

“I want to go back to school next year, but I wasn't able to take my OWLs.” Ali wrinkles her nose.

“Okay, we can tutor you, you can take the Owls at the end of this month, and you can still get into sixth year no problem. Deal?”

“You guys will tutor me?”

“Yeah. I mean, unless you want like professional tutors.”

“No. You guys are awesome.”

“Sweet. When do you want to start?”

“Whenever you want?”

“Now okay?”

“Um sure?” The girls exchange a devious glance and pull Draco down the hall into the library. An odd creature runs out with a flick of Ali’s wrist.

“What’s your Patronus Ali?”

“Pikachu.”

“What?” He stares at her in confusion making them laugh.

“Ooh. Study time?” Nisi asks, flopping down beside Draco, the others close behind. Later that night Draco falls face first onto his bed, groaning. Cate, who's passing by, laughs at his pitiful state.

“Oh I wouldn't laugh missy.” Josh comes up beside her, making her jump and clasps at her heart. “Nisi and I have plans for you as well.”

“Yup. But it's a surprise for Alex and George, so you can't talk about it.” Cate strangles back a scream at Nisi's sudden appearance.

“What are you two talking about?” She asks warily.

“How much do you trust us?”

“Enough to do a ritual with us?”

“Well obviously enough that I'm still here.”

“Excellent.” The twins crow in excitement.

“Wanna come watch Dray?” Josh asks as Nisi pulls Cate down the hall towards the room the dubbed the ‘Ritual room’ due to the wards surrounding and interwoven into the walls. Draco nods and follows them, curious as to what the twins had planned. The room already has people in it: Anthony, Mia, and Al. Anthony motions for Draco to sit with him and Mia as Nisi joins Al on the floor.

“Cate, can we take some of your blood?” Josh is studying the mortal intently, looking for any signs of discomfort.

“Sure.” She shrugs, turning bodily towards him. Taking her hand, he cuts a superficial slit across her palm and lets the blood flow into an earthenware bowl, wordlessly handing it to Nisi. Cate sits in the middle of the ritual circle Al had created while Nisi starts writing runes with her blood in between the outer circle and the inner.

“Cate, this ritual ties your core into the earth's. It's actually rather dark, and highly illegal because a lot of people die.” Cate looks up at Anthony in shock. “They die because no immortal is willing to be their Patron. You have Nisi though, and if no respectful Immortal, that term is used lightly, we mean someone who won't try to use you against us, she will willingly give you Patronage herself. This will not kill you.” She nods and relaxes at that.

“Why don't others do that?”

“It's highly highly illegal. The death rate. And it's classified as Black, which is darker than Dark.” Anthony grins. “And that absolutely terrifies people.”

“Nisi will be going too, but just to sort through the beings, and make sure none attempt to harm you.” Mia chimes in.

“Why would they?”

“Some do not like Nisi, and will try to get to her through any means.”

“Surprisingly enough, the one you would think would be hurtful and hateful, like Lucifer, Hades, Osiris, the Dark ones, are the ones that love Nis. It's people like Hera, Zeus, Juno, Dagda, the Light ones, that seem to hold the grudges.” Josh mutters.

“Ready Cate?” Al asks quietly, dark hazel eyes softening upon looking up at her. She nods and he starts chanting, as he chants her vision dims and soon she's standing in an empty space. She glances around, noticing Shadows and Light seem to be warring with each other.

“Like it?” Cate shudders at Nisi's voice.

“Fuck, I thought your voice was bad there.” Nisi’s head tilts.

“What?”

“All of your voices are enough to get anyone hot and bothered, your's the most. I'm pretty sure I was drooling when I first met you from your voice alone. Here though, it's even more so.” Cate fights a moan when Nisi starts laughing.

“Why thank you.” Nisi winks, a sultry grin in place. “Now if any of them make you uncomfortable, just tell me.” Cate nods just as three forms appear. One of them is cloaked in shadows, another seems to have galaxies painted across her pitch black skin, the last seems to be wrapped in light.

“Welcome Lady Synkínisi, what brings thou to the neutral zone?” Cate can't help but hide a wince as the light one’s voice grates on her ears. She finds voices like Nisi's and the others, sensual and seductive, smooth and silky, to be the most pleasant. That voice is cheerful and bubbly and too high.

“Lady Light, I am here to help a close friend.”

“Well, are thee going to introduce her?” Now that voice is one that has Cate's knees weak.

“Of course. Cate, this is Lady Chaos,” Nisi points at the one with white freckles in the form of galaxies, dark purple eyes, and flaming red hair. “The Dark Lady, Twilight's Pride, Darkness Personified, Lady of the Moon, Mother of all thing Primordial and Dark, the Night Incarnate. Just call her the Dark Lady.” Nisi grins, motioning to the feminine figure cloaked in darkness. She points at the last lady, the one that sets Cate on edge, and not the same way Nisi does. “The Lady of the Sun, the Dawn Star, Aurora Incarnate, the Mother of all that is Light and Pure, the Light Personified, the Light Lady. The Light Lady works.”

“What are thee helping her with?” The Light Lady asks, voice bubbly and bright. Nisi shrugs, languid and nonchalant.

“I’m helping her tie her core into the earth's.” Cate watches as the room seems to get a bit brighter but then the darkness grows, dampening the light.

“Thou is doing what?”

“I was very clear Dawn Star. I will not repeat myself.” Cate sidles up behind Nisi, worried as the room heats up. At this distance she can tell Nisi's skin is white and her freckles black. She traces a few, creating a design by connecting them. The room cools dramatically and she glances up to find the Light Lady and the Dark Lady gone, and both Lady Chaos and Nisi are watching her, amused.

“Is that what Josh meant when he said you don't get along with the Light?”

“Yeah. She's my aunt. You know how I've said something about dying a lot?” Cate nods. “One lifetime, Lady Chaos here, was my mom, another, the Dark Lady, which makes Dawn Star my aunt. Unfortunate really.” Purple red lips quirk up when she smiles at Cate. “Alright, let's start tying.” Nisi directs Cate through the steps, allowing her to take her time. Near the end, people start to show up, most seem to be hanging back, watching the few that approach. A woman who smells of ancient forest and long forgotten magic walks up to Cate and Cate wants to automatically recoil.

“Hello mortal.”

 

“Lady.” She nods, trying to be respectful, but she really doesn't want to talk to this lady with red brown hair and brown eyes.

“Why are thee with Synkínisi?”

“I like her.” Annoyance flashes across the Immortal’s face.

“Okay. Well would thee like to be my Voice?”

“May I know your name?”

“Hey Syn, Hera is messing with thy girl.” In the blink of an eye, Nisi is at her side.

“Cate meet Hera, Hera this is Cate.”

“I was just asking if Cate would like to become my Voice.” Hera says, glaring at the woman who spoke to warn Nisi. Cate slips her hand into Nisi's, hoping that skin on skin contact allows the blonde to access her thoughts here too. It does. Nisi quirks an eyebrow at her, a knowing look in her eyes.

“Sorry Lady Hera, but I cannot approve of that.”

“Who said thee have any choice?”

“As she is under my protection, many things decree that I do have a say.” Cate is still surprised at how ancient and timeless her friends voice sounds here, and now with the anger, she really can imagine her as a queen and a goddess, someone who dictates life as people know it. It's slightly terrifying and yet serves as a magnet. In all honesty Cate would love to have Nisi Patron her, but could happily settle for someone like her. Hera is not like Nisi. Cate blushes when she realizes she is still holding Nisi's hand, so Nisi knows all of that now and is looking highly amused. “I would Patron her myself, but with my habit of dying, I am afraid it might be detrimental to her health and am not willing to risk it.”

“Thou cares for her?” A man joins them and Cate feels crushing weight and brutal civility.

“Mars.” Nisi smiles and fuck, Cate's knees might as well just stay weak. “Yeah, I do. She is one of mine.” Mars nods, looking Cate over with a small grin.

“What are thee trying to do Syn?” The lady who spoke earlier, pointing out Hera, glides to Nisi's side.

“She is in the process of tying her core into the earth's. She is on the final step.” Nisi bumps Cate's shoulder with her own. “Cate this is Isis. She is a Queen of the Dark Court just as Hera is a Queen of the Light.” Cate gives a curtsy, liking Isis much better than Hera.

“Is there a reason we cannot hear her thoughts?” Isis muses, watching Cate who is trying to fight her blush as Egyptian Heat washes over her. Nisi chuckles a little.

“My fault. I want her to have her privacy.”

“Do thee and thy brother not read emotions?” Hera asks harshly.

“We keep it toned down enough to only pick up extreme anger, depression or panic.” Nisi waves her off, and Isis interrupts before Hera can explode in righteous rage.

“I am drawn to thee.” She steps up beside Cate who stands there with wide eyes. “Does thou accept me as thy patron? Will thee become my Voice?”

“Yes Lady.” Cate breathes without thinking and Nisi squeezes her hand before moving away, taking Hera and Mars with her. She focuses completely on Lady Isis, Egyptian Goddess of Fertility. Cate feels as if she's being unmade and can't find it in herself to care. She leans towards her goddess when she starts speaking.

“Thy core is going to be tied into the Earth's, making it very vast. If thee were to attempt to use all of it or channel a great deal, the energy will cause thou to combust. I will keep it blocked, but will unlock more as thou learns how to control it.”

“Thank you, my Lady.” Cate smiles, enraptured as her body and soul resettles and a symbol appears on her right forearm. She traces the ankh now woven into her skin, dark silver and bronze with dark flecks of gold and strands of black. “It’s beautiful.” She glances around looking for Nisi and finds her quickly enough and she looks furious.

“Oh fuck.” Her Lady sighs. “That is Dagda, the man Syn is taking to task. Come, let us see what we can do.” Cate does, feeling more tipsy and graceful than she ever has, her head feels like it's full of cotton, and the power coursing through her is making her drunk.

“Thou is power high. It will become manageable with time my Voice.” Cate just grins at her Lady's explanation.

“I do not give a rat's ass what thou thinks Dagda. Both Dark and Light Ladies are well aware of my intentions, unless thee believes thyself to be over the Ladies?”

“The Ban-.”

“The Ban is broken, trashed, nonexistent now. Then again, thou already knows who broke it first, do thee not Dagda? Does thou think I have not realized it? I have come into contact with him, I know what thee, a King of the Sky, has done. This is my retaliation. Thy Ban has no hold anymore, it has not for a while.” Dagda disappears with a huff, looking enraged.

“You have got to be fucking shitting me.” Nisi explodes the moment he's gone, making the others look at her in concern.

“Nisi, he has a Voice, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, Tom Riddle.” Nisi moans, flopping onto the ground. “Gods dammit.”

“If he warns him, does thou believe thee and thine will be in danger?" 

“Danger? Not so much. Is it going to make everything a helluva lot hard? Abso-fucking-lutely.”

“What are we going to do about it?” Cate asks, joining her friend on the floor.

“Pick up the pace, get more ruthless, get more information out of them. This has to end soon.”

“Should we go home?”

“Thou does not wish to.” It's not a question but Cate nods at Nisi all the same.

“Do not worry. Syn is great at bringing people to visit.”

“Indeed I am. I will bring everyone once again when everything settles.” Nisi nods and takes Cate's hand. Isis kisses them both and waves them away.

“Later Lady Isis.” Cate grins, waving.

“See ya Is.” Nisi calls over her shoulder, pulling Cate through the Void. When Cate returns to her body, she tries to stand and immediately falls back down, giggling. “Power high.” Nisi explains, grinning at her friend. “Blame it on Isis.” Cate glances up but dissolves in giggles again at Draco's wide eyes.

“Her eyes-”

“Darkfire.” Nisi sighs, laying on the floor.

“May I see your arm Cate?” Al asks, sitting beside her. She holds out her right arm and allows him to study it.

“How do you feel?” Josh yawns, pulling Mia into his side, wanting his bed.

“Amazing.”

“Alright. She's sleeping in my room tonight.” Draco says, getting up and tugging the girl to her feet.

“But I want to sleep with Alex and George.” she whines before giggling again.

“We want this to be a surprise for them remember, at least until the morning when you’re more stable.”

“Oh yeah.” she giggles, leaning on him for support until a burst of darkfire races over her skin and she gets her feet under her, becoming graceful and smooth. “Oh fuck, this is intense.”

“Those burst of darkfire energy will keep her on her feet and levelheaded.” Anthony explains to Draco, shaking his head, amused.

“Bed, everyone, let's go.” Nisi shoos them out, realizing it's almost two in the morning.

* * *

 

Nisi sits up and immediately moans, placing her head in her hands. She can feel Anthony turn towards her and the weight of his gaze as he waits for her to settle. Scrubbing her her face once more, she presses the heels of her palm to her eyes and just stays like that. 

“How bad?” Nisi shrugs at his question.

“Manageable.”

“Alright.” He sits up beside her and presses a kiss to the back of her exposed neck. “Food?”

“Coffee.” She mumbles, not willing to move just yet.

“I'll get it.” The bed doesn't even jostle as he smoothly gets off, the door makes no sound as he passes through. A few moments later, the door reopens and stops before it can close as the person entering notices her state on the bed.

“Morning Cate.”

“Morning Nisi. Are you okay?” Cate asks, shutting the door silently.

“Headache. Long night.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Nisi reassures her and pats the bed beside her for the younger girl to sit down. “Stayed up with Josh, Mia and Tony.” The pain is becoming workable the longer she's awake, soon she'll be able to stand up. For now, she's content with sitting, now able to at least look up and around the room. Her eyes immediately land on Cate and note the differences being Patroned has brought. Her brown hair seems richer, more voluminous, shiny, and now has dark copper streaks that seem to make the girl glow. Her brown eyes hold the same copper, making them appear to hold fire. Her eyelids have turned smoky, adding to the shine in her eyes, lips have a copper tint, giving them a metallic sheen, and her nails have become tinted as well, again, copper in color. Her tan is creamier, a little lighter than before, throwing her eyes and hair into sharp contrast. “Power high?”

“Not anymore, I slept it off.”

“Good.”

“I don't think I thanked you last night.” Nisi just shrugs. “Is it okay if I talk?”

“Yeah. I'm fine.”

“Thank you so much for what you've done for me. You guys saved my life, took me in, taught me how to protect myself, listened to my opinions even though I was a muggle and was new, and now this.” Cate gestures at her herself. “The moment I felt the magic course through me, I felt alive, and I really can't thank you enough for that. And when the Ladies appeared, you treated me like an equal, even though you are so much more and deserve to have people bowing before you in worship, praise, and a touch of fear. You stopped Hera, which I am ever grateful for, and brought me to my Lady.” Cate's voice turns to pure affection and rapture when she starts speaking about Isis. “You gave me to opportunity to gain a Patron, and I am eternally in your debt.”

“There are no debts between friends.” Nisi repeats what she once said to Sirius Black so many months ago, this time because she actually means it and not to just throw someone off guard. She glances at the door and finds Anthony standing there, two mugs of steaming hot coffee in his hands.

“She is right you know. You deserve to have people bowing down in worship at your feet.” He hands her a mug. “Sorry I don't have one for you Cate.”

“You’re fine.” She smiles at him. “So why don't you?” She returns her attention to Nisi. “You’re a goddess right? That's why you bleed gold?”

“I don't like the attention. A lot of it is false or trying to get into good books, just like the Ministry.”

“Synkínisi is the Primordial Goddess of Emotions and Change. She is associated with the Dark Kingdom. She has another title though that explains why people would want to stay on her good side for personal reasons and not out of worship. The Dead Queen. She can call hordes of undead to her. She is friends with Hel, Hades, Kali, Osiris, Anubis, Thanatos, all of the Immortals associated with Death and the afterlife. Well technically she friends with all the Dark, but she is used for those ones.”

"Well that isn't what's important to me. I just care that we're friends.”

“We are.” Nisi smiles, the pain moving out of the forefront of her mind.

“Remember when that necromancer came after us?” Anthony asks, nudging his lover with a shoulder. She starts laughing.

“What?”

“He had summoned a bunch of skeletons and zombies and ordered them to kill Nis. They all looked at her, looked back at him, looked at her again, and turned on him, ripping him limb from limb. They never take well to her being attacked.”

“How come your name isn't in any of the myths?”

“I erased it. I became tired of the falseness and the idea that I could be used, so I went into the background, faded from view, walked the Earth. Those that remained true I stuck with but the others dealt on their own. I helped from behind the scenes, changing the course of history as needed.” Nisi shrugs, pain fading from her mind.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah, the coffee helped.” She answers Anthony with a smile. “So, Cate, when do you want to tell Alex and George?”

“Could I wait until her birthday?”

“September 1st? If you can wait two months. We’d have to keep sight shields up around you and train you at night or something.”

“Please.” Cate beams at the two. Nisi waves her hand and sets up a shield around her, reverting her to her original state. “That is so cool!”

“Why?” Anthony looks at the brunette.

“I might have a crush on them.”

“There is no might about that Catie Cat. The only people blind to it are Alex and George themselves.” Nisi scoffs at the girl, refraining from rolling her eyes knowing it will cause her more pain.

“I want it to be a birthday present. That now I’m part of your world.” Cate responds, looking down to pick at their comforter.

“You became a part of it the moment we found you in that basement Cate Hyun-Ok Kasandra Gryffin.” Cate looks up to find both of them intensely watching her.

* * *

 

She stands back and watches a plump toad like woman in ghastly pink walk down the hallway. She trails after her, annoyance growing every time the woman opened her mouth. High pitched voice, better than thou attitude, and blood purity views. Everything she hates.

“Does thou see the problem?”

“She is a danger to the world.”

“She furthers the Sickness’ reach.”

“I see.” The figure answers the three voices that spoke.

“Rid the world of the Sickness.” They respond simultaneously.

“I will.” The conviction stops the three from pressing further, hearing the truth. The woman in pink enters a room labeled ‘Madam Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge’.

Nisi's eyes fly open to find 20 sets of eyes studying her in concern.

“Charlotte, what do you know of a woman named Dolores Umbridge.”

“Oh gods, do we get to kill her?” The hope and elation in Fred and George's voice has the eyes shifting to them.

“And if we do?” Fred wordlessly holds out his hand to the blonde teen. Nisi takes it with a sigh, dreading the rush of information. Coming back out of his memories, her eyes connect with Draco's, who recoils slightly at the blank look before returning blue eyes to the violet blue of the twins.

"She used a blood quill on you and other students?” They nod and Draco pales. Cate taps his shoulder to gain his attention.

“What?”

“I helped her before they took me.” He whispers, stunned to the core.

“I don't think they associate you with who you were anymore. It's only who you are now.” Her eyes are intense and he catches flickers of copper in them.

“Alright. But I'm coming with you.” Nisi nods leaning into Anthony's side and pulling Kana into her other. “You two are leading this one. You do the recon, figure out how it'll happen, all of it. And she's right Little Liveloúla.” Draco glances up to meet Nisi’s patient and understanding eyes

“Who?” Josh asks once everyone resettles.

“Moirae.” He nods like that was an everyday occurrence while the newer ones stare in shock.

“The Fates gave you a vision?”

* * *

 

Lemur and Monkey lead Jaguar into a pink, one story house on the outskirts of London. Jaguar remains silent and in the background as the three slip into the master bedroom, and sits back to watch as Lemur causes ropes to ties the woman's arms and legs to the bed. Dolores starts screaming and Monkey uses it as an opportunity to pour a potion down her throat. She splutters and starts gasping for breath as the potion causes whatever it comes into contact with to degrade and decay instantly. They stay there until she dies, Lemur and Monkey watching Umbridge, Jaguar watching them. Once the body is mush, and Monkey shoots a spell to create a replica of his mask above the house, the three masked figures leave, not a single word being spoken. Reaching the house, George and Fred pull off their masks and cloaks, while Nisi just pushes her hood down and her mask up, still watching the twins somewhat blankly. They go off with Jay and Ali, a new product on all four minds, leaving Nisi standing in the middle of the foyer. Anthony steps out of the nearby shadows and lays a hand on her shoulder.

“This type is always different. What we do is premeditated, yes, but we don't know them, the only personal part is that they are destroying Our world. This, this is grudges and revenge, it changes a person. It's a turning point. Josh and I hit it when we were 10 and killed Terrance, you hit it when you were 11 and distracted Vincenzo to allow Mama to poison him, Alex was 14, against her attacker, Charlotte and Jake 16 when Jake's father attempted to use Char against Jake, Louis was 13, his uncle, Kana 17, that intruder who killed her mother and little brother, Akil 15 when that bastard left him to die in that tomb, Jay and Al, that pair of cousins who wanted them for themselves, Monifa was 12 when she took out that bully, Ali 16 when she finally snapped and gutted that horrid aunt, Mia was 14 when she cursed that one relative with a plague, Blane was 17 when he poisoned his uncle, Marylin 11 when she snapped every bone in her cousin's body, Cate hit that point when she threw the last knife, and now the twins.”

“Dursleys?”

  
“They didn't actually give the final shot, even with Petunia, she was dead already, it was just residual. Though I suppose that was the point, not today. Thanks love.” She leans up and presses her lips against his and he groans pulling her closer until he can't take it anymore and drags her into nearby shadows.


	5. The Gods Decide to Interfere

Nisi curls up in the bed size couch in her library, the Percy Jackson series in Greek, Graceling series in Arabic, and the set of Narnia books in Russian surrounding her. Anthony, Fred, Alex, and George are at a hit, Mulciber Sr. and Nott Sr. the only ones at the Mulciber house tonight. Soon, her solitude is interrupted when Ali and Marylin bring Draco and Cate in to study. She remains silent, waving her hand to take down the sight shield surrounding Cate, which causes both Ali and Marylin to stumble to a halt, stare at the girl, then act as if nothing is different. Two hours pass and Nisi has finished the series in Greek and is starting the Arabic when the group returns home, making her head snap up and the sight shield to slam back down around Cate who gasps at the force of the magic. Nisi is scrambling from her seat, sending her books flying around, and seems to be on the verge of utter and complete panic. Her hand locks around Marylin's arm and pulls her along.

“Nis?”

“Syn?!”

“SYNKÍNISI?!” She doesn't react to any of those calling to her just continues her path, soon letting go of the other girl so she can sprint full speed towards the foyer. She slides, trying to stop in the entrance, and slams hip first into the door frame, cracking the wood from the force. Scrambling, she rushes forward, hitting her knees next to Anthony who is holding his ribcage, blood seeping through his fingers. Alex rips off her mask, supporting both twins.

“They were waiting. It was still only those two, but they were aware.” Alex growls, propping the other two up on the wall so she can focus on their wounds.

“LIN!” Nisi screams as Anthony's eyes start to unfocus. “VELA!” Marylin rushes in and takes in the sight.

“Blood replenishing, bone knitting, pain relieving.” She snaps at Blane who summons them, both moving to Anthony's other side.

“Nisi, keep him awake.” Nisi gives a sharp nod, focusing all of her energy on the prone guy. Marylin removes Anthony's hands from his rib and cuts his shirt off, assessing the wound. Several rib shards are piercing through his skin among deep cuts and lacerations. Nisi sends burst of energy through him as Marylin and Blane pour potions down his throat. The room darkens and a gorgeous pale man with inky black hair and black eyes appears, immediately joining Nisi on the ground. He sets his hands on her shoulders, his darkness seeming to leak into her skin and those watching see her skin lighten to absolute white, her freckles darken to black, her eyes shift to the uncontrolled form, one blue, one purple, neither with a pupil, and both as reflective as a cat's.  Marylin curses under her breath. “A shard pierced his lung. Nisi keep it up.” She had managed to heal the bones and the cuts, but now has to deal with the blood pouring into his lung. The room darkens further when Anthony seems to start choking, coughing, unable to breathe, and Nisi tenses up. Josh joins his sister who now has Darkfire racing along her skin and filling the white of her eyes. He too lays his hand on her shoulders, causing his eyes to shift as well, including the darkfire, and his skin to glow darkly, the Mark on his right collarbone lighting up. Those standing in the room want to hit their knees and raise their voices in worship and prayer, feeling the divine energy pouring off of the four, for now Anthony's eyes are open and a Navy blue ring stands out between his iris and pupil, the white turning black with Darkfire just as the Barron twins has, his hair is sucking in the light around it, and his skin is regaining its former richness and then some, the Mark on the back of his neck glowing just as brightly as Josh and Nisi's. Marylin sits back. “He's safe. Everything is going to be okay.” She softly says to Nisi who looks up and nods. Marylin and Blane move to the redhead twins and begin healing them. Nisi looks at her brother, unwilling to speak, but knowing he'll understand.

“Go on. Go to your room.” He nods, voice soothing. She glances to her other side to connect eyes with Hades.

“I agree. Go. It's fine.” He leans down and presses a small kiss to the girl's bruised looking lips before leaning down more and pressing one to Anthony's, who gives a small pained grin in response. Nisi wraps the shadows around them and travels to her bedroom, laying Anthony's head in her lap so she can run her fingers through his hair.

“I’m going to be okay Syn, I swear on Styx.”

“I know, but I will still be attached today.” She mutters, voice still ringing with ancient power and eternity, making him reach up and pull her close enough to give a searing kiss.

“I suppose I can live with that.” He cheekily grins, pulling far enough away to speak. “It's been forever since I Channeled.”

“Josh too.” She adds. “Long time since I took that form here in the mortal realm.”

“We must be giving Tom a hard time if Dagda was willing to give them that power.”

“So that **is** why Lin had such a problem.”

“Yup, same spell Hera had used on you.”

“We’re going to have to be more careful and step it up a few more notches.”

“How are we going to deal with Dagda? I really don't want you to deal with the entire Sky court on your own.”

“I won't. I think it's time the Immortals are reunited.” Anthony traces patterns over her neck and cheeks, any bare skin, as she talks. “The Prince will Fall.”

“I still find it hilarious that you made that prophecy about him dethroning Dagda on accident.” He muses, grin growing as she flicks his nose.

“It **was** an accident. How was I supposed to know the Moirae would take it as face value and make it so.” She pouts and he laughs at the petulant tone, pulling her in for another kiss.

“Ti amo cuore mio.” He whispers not wanting to move away. (I love you, my heart.)

“E io, tu, anima mia.” She responds with their age old exchange. (And I, you, my soul.)

Nisi groans, getting up out of bed and stretching up on her toes, trying to work the tension and kinks out of her body. Soft chuckling starts up behind her, stretched across her bed.

“Bite me.” She grumbles making the laughter grow. She looks down and finds bruises coating her collarbone, up her neck, and traveling down under her shirt, and she just knows they go all the way to her thighs. Rolling her eyes, she pulls off her shirt, silence ringing out at the motion, and starts searching for her bra. She pulls it and a pair of jeans on and sits on the edge of the bed to pull a drawer open and find a shirt. The bed dips behind her and cool lips trail across her shoulders, fingers trace the bruises, and hair tickles her neck. A soft moan escapes her as fingers flutter across her sides, moving from the top of her jeans to the bottom of her bra. Shifting quickly, she throws a leg over him and pins his arms down, her hair creating a curtain around his face. His eyes are dilated and he shifts his hip a little. “You just love driving me crazy don't you?”

“It’s only fair. I can't even focus when you walk into a room.” He mutters rolling his hip though not trying to dislodge her. She leans down, lips nearly brushing his, the smirk making his breath stutter.

“Maybe that's the point. Maybe I want you to only see me. Maybe I enjoy watching you struggle not to act then and there.” She murmurs and watches as his pupil nearly takes over the iris. He groans when she shifts her hips, his own snapping upwards. “I love watching you fall apart.” She whispers, her lips finally brushing his before she’s gone, a tank top in hand, and already out the door.

“Now what has you grinning like a Cheshire cat?” Josh asks as Nisi enters the kitchen, her grin just grows in response, a pleased satisfied glint to her eyes. Anthony enters a few minutes later, hair dripping from a quick shower and Josh gets his answer. “Horrid Heathens.” He mutters, shaking his head at his twin and her lover. Both just smirk and kiss his cheeks.

“You love us.” They croon right before Marylin walks in. Nisi glides over and kisses her full on the mouth.

“Thank you for last night. I wasn't in a right state of mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. I would do it every single time. Over and over. I'm just sorry I didn't realize the spell used at first and it took longer.”

“You were perfect.” Anthony reassures her, pressing a kiss just as Nisi did.

“They pissed me off.” Alex nonchalantly comments, entering and taking in the scene. “Nisi, they hurt my heart.” She flutters her eyelashes much to the Weasley twins, Cate, and Draco’s curiosity and amusement.

“Hmm. Did they now?” Alex just nods. “Well, that settles it doesn't it?” A smirk twist Alex’s features before she relaxes and continues on to get breakfast.

“Confused.” Cate singsongs, drawing their attention to her. Nisi is pleased to see that her sight shields are still up and running. It's only July 19 and she wants to wait until September 1st, crazy lady. Her gaze lands on Draco and she remembers the conversation she had with Anthony. Lips brush across her ear.

“Go on. Do it.” Nisi rolls her eyes at Anthony's taunt, moving towards Draco easily who's grey eyes widen. She places a hand on either side of his face and sends a burst of energy through him, searching for the block she thinks is there. Finding it quickly enough and unlocks it, allowing the boys magic to flow easier and quicker. She retreats and studies his shocked, glazed, expression.

“What was that?”

“Anthony, you have a disciple.”

“What is going on?” Draco looks back and forth between the two.

“Really? Water?” Nisi just nods at him.

“Oh my gods. I am standing right here. Hellllllloooo?”

“Syn. Tony.” Akil sighs at the two.

“Last night Syn had the brilliant idea that there was a block on a portion of Draco's magic.” Anthony's eyes are bright. “Draco has Elemental magic. Water.”

“You’re kidding.”

“That's amazing.”

“Do you think the other?”

“Wait! What do you mean?” Draco raises his voice above everyone else.

“How do you describe how your magic moves?”

“It flows?”

“Like water?” Draco nods slowly. “Well you see, you know what an elemental is right?” He nods again. “Over the last few study sessions I noticed that something was holding you back, so tada.” She pulls out her phone. “That reminds me, I need the twins to drag Gin over here, I think she has the same block.”

“How can you act like this is completely normal?”

“It's a talent of hers for one, and two, this is normal for us. We live in a world of surprises and the supernatural.” Anthony ruffles his hair and grins down at him. “Looks like you're going to be training under me for a while.”

“Why’s that?”

“Josh, Nisi, Mia and I are Elementals. I am Water, Josh is Air, Mia is Fire, and Nisi is Earth. Water includes Ice which I think will be your specialty.” Anthony muses, studying the teen.

“So now it's OWL training and Elemental training.”

“Yup. This is gonna be so much fun.”

“What do you think Weaselette will be?”

“Fire. And I'm pretty sure if you call her that, she'll come up one for you as well.”

“I would suppose so.” Draco sighs much to Anthony's amusement.

“Mia.” Mia spins around at the sensual voice.

“Proserpina!” The Dark Roman goddess has pink eyes and pink hair that brings out the rose tint to her pale skin. “My Lady!”

“Hello My Voice. There is an attack in a muggle neighborhood by the Sickness spreader.” Proserpina tells her quickly.

“Got it. We'll go immediately.” Mia sends her salamander Patronus to get the others and summoning her uniform and mask. Proserpina kisses her before disappearing. Eighteen others in uniform enter the room within seconds and the melt into the shadows, following the path Proserpina left them easily. They appear on a street filled with fire and screams, moving as soon as they land. Anyone in a DE mask falls under either a spell or a blade, blood pooling under them. Jaguar, Wolverine, and Roc flit up a set of stairs and into a home finding a large Death Eater cornering a family. Wolverine and Roc grab an arm, snap his elbow, and hold him there as Jaguar jumps, her feet landing on his shoulders, and grips his chin, twisting and pulling up, making his neck snap and detach from his body. She hops down, not making a sound in the descent. The three leave without a glance back, not caring that the man's mask came up to reveal Mulciber Jr., their eyes searching for their own family. They see Lemur and Bat team up against another Death Muncher and Wolverine flings a spell to their right. It hits the Death Muncher trying to sneak up on them, making him tense up similar to Petrificus Totalus, except he stays upright. Monkey spins and slams a blade into his heart, giving Wolverine a quick wave. The three fall back into the fray and after a few moments of the Death Eaters getting slaughtered while the others remain untouched, the DE’s begin disapparating. Wolf notices one shoot a crucio at Jaguar. It doesn't connect, naturally, too many charms, shields and protective runes interwoven into the cloak, but it still pisses him off. The attacker turns and finds Wolf's mask staring at him. His breath starts to pick up as does his heart rate. He starts clawing at his chest as it becomes painful, eventually falling to his knees, gasping for breath as fear and panic builds and bubbles.

“Are you going to make him have a heart attack?” Jaguar asks, cocking her head at Wolf who simply nods. The Death Eater falls at their feet, heart still. Jaguar glances around and finds nearly all the perpetrators gone or dead. Red robes start popping into existence and they recognize the Aurors.

“Scatter.” Wolf's voice comes through the speaker and they start dissolving into the shadows before the aurors even have a chance to react. Landing in the foyer, the 19 adults collapse in laughter, pulling off cloaks and mask in the process.

“Did you see their faces?” Al wheezes, trying to catch his breath and failing at it. This causes another burst of laughter.

“Oh they were priceless!” They dissolve in laughter once more. A girl sighs in the doorway.

“They're all mental.” Cate shakes her head, before laying it on Draco's shoulder.

“Entirely so.” He nods with a sigh of his own. The others just laugh more.

A few weeks after Proserpina warns them of the attack, another immortal shows up in their living room.

“My Lord!”

“Taranis!” The Celtic God of storms looks around before pulling Louis into a tight hug.

“Hello Lou.” He murmurs, his voice rumbling around the room. “There is another attack. Go quickly, there is a muggleborn wizard they're hunting.” He pulls back to press a kiss to Louis's forehead before disappearing.

“Suit up!”

“Shut up Syn!” Several voices ring out, throwing pillows at the blonde.

“Maybe we should cut her off of Marvel.” Monifa mutters.

“Nooooooo. Don't do that!” Nisi whines, pouting at the younger girl who just tweaks her nose as they move through the shadows, pulling masks on in the process. They end up right behind a masked figure and both Lion and Lynx raise a hand, flinging a puncturing hex at his skull.

“Five seconds in and already we're sprayed with blood. Nice work.” Viper pats both on the shoulder before moving forward. Phoenix, Lion, Tiger, and Coyote move to one side of the street. Wolf, Crocodile, Wolverine and Fox head straight down. Jaguar, Cobra, Anaconda, and Bat head down the street in the opposite direction. The other five, Hellhound, Lynx, Viper, Roc and Owl, take the other side of the street. The right side of the road, Phoenix's side, has several Cloaked figures pulling muggles out of their houses. Phoenix intercepts one of them, the one in charge, and pulls his victim out of his grasp. She jumps on him, the other three with her do the same and they all start tearing pieces off and throwing them over their shoulders before moving on to the others surrounding them. Wolf sends a spell at a figure about to light a home on fire sending the attacker spinning. Crocodile shoots a cutting curse, Wolverine let's a Bonecrushing hex fly right after, and Fox finishes it off with a liquefying curse. Wolf turns to find his others and sees Viper and Roc get separated from their group. He rolls his eyes and bends the shadows around him, moving behind the figure attempting to kill the two. When Viper and Roc see him they face the Death Eater, making him surrounded. All three cast a quick accio and the man splits into three pieces. He moves back to his group when the two rejoin their own. The Aurors and Order show up just as the last Death Eaters are disapparating. The group runs back into the middle of the street and forms a circle, several going invisible and moving into the middle so only nine can be seen, watching the new arrivals approach them.

“Who are you?” They recognize Madam Bones as she speaks.

“Vigilantes.” The nine answer together.

“More or less.” Viper shrugs.

“With a screwed up”

“sense of justice,” Owl continues Roc’s sentence.

“but at least it is a sense of justice.” Bat finishes for the other two.

“Which is more than we can say” Wolf sighs exasperated.

“for some of you guys,” Wolverine chimes in.

“Right?” Again all of them talk together.

“Some help you lot did.” Cobra snorts.

“By the time you guys showed up” Crocodile grumbles at the others.

“everyone would've been dead.” Fox tilts her head, setting those watching on edge.

“Congratulations on that.” All nine voices mix again, then they all disappear without another sound.

“Was the precious Order even going to tell us of the attack?”

“Nope.” Nisi answers Kana with a sigh, getting stuck in her cloak when she tries to pull it off. She gives up when it yanks on her hair and plops onto the hardwood floor with a huff. Anthony takes off his own before sitting beside her and gently untangling the cloak from her hair and unbraiding it, running his fingers through the waves as he goes. When that's done, he slips behind her and unzips the shirt, sliding his hands inside to massage her shoulders and back. She pulls her knees up and her hair over her shoulder and leans her head forward, giving him more access.

“What do we have left?” Ali yawns, pulling Monifa into her side to lean on.

“Rowle’s House. On the 22nd which is a week from today. Rowle is the only one beside Snape of the original DE’s, the rest are newbies.”

“And only you, Anthony and Blane are going?” Quinn asks, stretching out, her head on Jay's shoulder. Josh nods before burying his nose in Mia's hair, drawing her to him.

“I say we shower and go to bed.” Charlotte grins as she looks around the room. Muted agreements echo back at her before they all stumble towards their rooms, Draco and Cate already in bed.

The Rowle hit goes off without a hitch and two days later the group heads to Diagon Alley school shopping for Draco. They're laughing over how he passed every single OWL he took with an O, including classes he never took when Draco goes quiet. Nisi hip bumps him slightly.

“What's on your mind little one?”

“I'm going to miss you guys teaching me. I'm going to have to deal with Binns in History instead of you, who knows for DADA, but it won't be Josh, Snape for potions and usually that would be okay, but it's not anymore, not that I know what I know now, and I won't have Blane.”

“Harry will be there,” She waits until his face is red, “and Ginny.”

“Ah yes, Weaselette.” He takes the easy way out before wrinkling his nose. “Weasel too i guess.”

“Eh if he bothers you just punch him in the face.” Nisi waves his concern off.

“Granger might punch me then, and she hurts.”

“She's hit you?” Nisi stills, fighting a snarl.

“I was a prat.” He shrugs before returning to his search for the books he needs.

“Harry will be there.” She repeats nonchalantly.

“Yes, you said that.” She shrugs.

“I think it bears repeating.” Draco just stares at her. “You stare when he's not looking.” He splutters for a moment.

“It doesn't matter. He hates me and thinks I'm still an enormous-”

“He stares when you're not looking.” Her tone is bland and disinterested as she reaches for a book that he needs.

“Probably imagining killing me.” Nisi stops moving and looks at him with a deadpan, unimpressed, until he blushes to his roots.

“Sit with him on the train.” She suggests before grabbing the last book and walking to the register. Draco gapes for a moment before following.

September 1st rolls around the corner and finds Nisi and Cate in the kitchen, Cate no longer with a sight shield.

“What are we making?”

“A lemon poppy seed cake with lemon curd and icing.”

“Lemon icing?” Cate asks with a grin.

“No silly, raspberry flavor.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah?” Nisi quirks an eyebrow at the brunette who blushes a little. “We’ll start with the curd.” The two girls fall into easy chatter at 6 30 in the morning, Cate listening as Nisi recites the recipe from memory. She help where she can, but when the three 11 inch pans go into the oven Nisi goes into the wine room. When she returns, she's holding a bottle of Chambord.

“What are you going to do with that?”

“Mix it into the icing.”

“Along with the raspberries?”

“Mhmm.” She nods and quickly whips up homemade icing while directing Cate to smash a bowl of raspberries. When the brunette finishes, Nisi pours the bowl along with a dash of the liqueur, into the icing and mixes it together before separating it into three bowls. A quick flick of her wrist sets everything else cleaning and a thing of red food coloring into her palm. Cate watches as she leaves one bowl alone and adds red to the other two, each one a different shade of the color.

“How many times have you done this?”

“Multiple. I've known them for a while. Even if they don't remember everything.” After placing the icing with the curd in the fridge, she joins Cate on the counter.

“You knew them in previous lives?”

“A couple yeah. A mistake on my part got Alex killed. I sent Kana into a horde of demons with a descendant of Alex. I nearly got Anthony killed on multiple occasions. I brought Jay out of the underworld and back to Quinn, exchanging his soul for a traitor in their midst. They don’t really remember them though.” Nisi shrugs. “I still don't know if that's a good thing or not.” The oven beeps, dragging Nisi out of her thought and melancholy. She pulls it out and moves to get the curd and icing. “Hey can you cool those for me.”

“Yeah.” Cate nods and sets to it, popping the three cakes out of the pan.

“Have you known me in any?” Nisi stops to look at her, and Cate hesitates to meet her eyes.

“Yes. A few.” Cate nods, not really wanting to know what happened to give Nisi such a pained expression. They start working again, and soon have a three layer cake with a crumb layer on. Nisi cools it and pipes the darkest red around the bottom third of the cake, then the middle red, before finishing with the lightest. She takes a bent knife and smoothing the icing in an upwards fashion, creating an ombre effect, and pipes dollops around the top edge with the leftover icing. A few lemon slices and raspberries get sprinkled on top just as the others begin to join them in the kitchen. Coffee and tea get passed around and soon everyone is sitting down with a cup waiting on Draco, George, and Alex. Draco sneaks in moments before Alex and George walk in.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!” the redhead stops in the doorway before her face splits with a grin. When her eyes land on Cate she just gapes, freezing in shock.

“Surprise?” Cate's meek tone draws George's attention to her and he quickly mimics Alex. Cate doesn't move as Alex advances on her and grabs her right hand, flipping it over so her forearm is pointing upwards.

“Lady Isis.” She mutters, tracing the ankh now visible. Cate nods, trying to hold in a shiver at the feather light touch. “How?”

“My core is tied into the Earth's now.” Alex starts laughing before grabbing a rag and throwing it at Nisi's face, who dodges it easily with a squeal.

“How long were you planning it?”

“The Dursleys.” Alex rolls her eyes at the response.

“That's why you and Josh flipped.” Nisi hums an agreement, watching with everyone else as Alex continues to trace the Mark. Cate shifts, drawing the redhead’s attention back to her face. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” Cate shakes her head, but her face is turning a little pink. “What?” Cate just shakes her head again, a little more violently. “Cate, what-?”

“I have a crush on you and George.” She blurts out before squeezing her eyes closed.

“Me… and George?” At Alex’s question, Cate tries to tug her hand away, but she's not having any of it and holds tighter. Fred pushes his twin towards the two and Alex immediately locks onto his hand and begins pulling the two out of the room. “Nisi cut the cake, we'll be back soon.”

“Mkay!” She waves them off and faces the table.

“Well that works.”

“You knew that would happen.” Draco comments at the proud glint in her eyes.

“I had an idea yeah. I didn't expect it to happen like that.” She hands out the cake and squeezes Draco's shoulder. “Ready for school?”

“Yeah. How did you manage to get Snape and Dumbledore off your back?”

“They don't know you were with us.” Mia grins mischievously. Draco shrugs knowing that if anyone can fool those two it's the group surrounding him. When they return, Cate and George's hair is slightly mused and all three have bruised lips and a few love bites.

“Everything work out?” Anthony asks with a smirk, making Alex flip him off with a sneer.

“C'mon, eat up. We're leaving at 10:30.” Ali hustles the three to the table and gives them a slice, Alex’s bigger than the rest. The shadows pull them to the entrance of King's Cross and the group heads in, their laughter and conversation easing Draco's nerves while making the families pass by them smile, their joy infectious. Reaching the platform between Nine and Ten, a twitch of Ali’s fingers has all of the muggles looking away long enough for them to pass through. In the process, Nisi isn't paying attention and runs smack into a teen about to board the train, causing them to both to fall on their asses.

“Damn it.” Nisi groans, rubbing her forehead where it connected with the others chin. Those with her are laughing loudly, some using those beside them as support. “Oh fuck off you guys.” She snarls, throwing one of her sandals at Blane, hitting him square in the chest. This just causes the others to laugh harder, gasping for breath, drawing everyone's attention to them. Nisi growls, then focuses on the kid she knocked over. “Sorry about that.” She apologizes as he stands up and holds out a hand, helping her up.

“No problem.” He says with a shrug. When her hand meets his, she groans and rubs her heel of her hands into her eyes.

“I would run over Air, wouldn’t I.” She grumbles under her breath, barely loud enough for him to hear.

“Blaise Zabini.” He introduces himself, sounding apprehensive under the bored facade.

“Synkínisi Barron.” His eyes widen and for a moment she wants to sneer. Instead she quirks an eyebrow. Draco steps up, noticing who she ran into.

“Zabini.” He drawls and the violet eyes widen further.

“Malfoy.” He pauses, unsure if he should continue. “We thought you died.”

“Apparently not.” Nisi looks at Josh, Mia, and Anthony before shrugging. When they nod, she taps Zabini’s feet, making him spin and face her. Before he can react, she places a hand on either side of his face and shoves energy in, looking for the block. She finds it easily enough and eradicates it. Pulling back, she smirks at the shocked look.

“Sorry… well not really, but you get the point. I did the same thing to Draco, except he's a Water elemental, and you're an Air.”

“Nisi!” Draco exclaims. “He doesn't even know you.” He groans, a hand going through his hair.

“Well you can help him, can't you?”

“That’s not the point. You can't just go around unlocking people's magical abilities like it's a normal everyday occurrence. It's creepy.”

“Oh yeah.” She sounds bashful but Draco just narrows his eyes.

“What are you playing at?”

“Guys!” Harry's voice interrupts before she can respond. And soon Sirius, Remus and Harry are mingling with the group much to Zabini’s confusion. Nisi steps up next to him as Harry captures Draco's attention.

“What do you know of the Old Ways?”

“I follow them still.”

“Perfect. You ever talk to Ginny Weasley?”

“Um, what?”

“Yeah that was smooth as fuck. Way to go Nis.” She flashes him a self deprecating grin and shows him her upper left arm and the Mark etched into her skin. “Anyways… We follow the Old Ways as well, and I was told by My Lady that there's a new batch of Elementals. You are one of them, Draco is the Water and Ginevra Weasley is the Fire. Josh is an Air Elemental. He can teach you if you want.”

“Holy fuck. Is that the Dark Lady's Mark.”

“Yes. Some of the Immortals are being prevented from responding. Do not be discouraged.”

“I can train under him?”

“Yes. You wanna?”

“Yeah.”

“Perfect. When we train Draco we'll pick you up. Kay?” He nods, eyes wide. It's five minutes till the train leaves and Nisi grimaces when she hears yelling.

“Harry!” it's Weasley and Granger.

“What are you doing with the Ferret?”

“Ron he's my friend now.” Harry sighs.

“Hello Weaselette.” Draco drawls as Gin joins them. Ron goes to lunge but Gin shoves her wand in her brother’s face, making him stop short.

“Hello Dragon.” She sneers right back before grinning. “Who are you sitting with on the train?”

“Zabini?” Draco looks at the dark skinned Italian and he nods easily.

“Cool. Come on, let's find a compartment.” She grabs both boys and drags them towards the train.

“Bye Draco!” The group calls after him. He turns and waves, looking slightly panicked. Weasley and Granger continue to hound on Harry after getting over their shock. Jake ruffles his hair before pulling him away from his friends to pass him around for hugs. When he gets to Akil, who's last, his arms tighten a little.

“Relax, it's going to be okay.” He gives a short nod and runs to the train, shouting goodbyes over his shoulder. A week later, Nisi is alone in the sparring room when her phone starts blaring ‘Diva’. She pauses and furrows her eyebrows, answering the call.

“Draco?”

“Voldemort's attacking. Snape is letting him into the castle.” His breathless voice comes through rapidly.

“Coming. Have you got your radio piece?” She asks as she sprints out of the room, her dragon Patronus heading to the bedrooms as she goes to the library.

“Yeah.”

“Turn it on. Keep it on. We're coming.”

“Gotta go. They're here.” The phone shuts off with a click and Nisi starts cursing rapidly, flipping through languages as she goes.

“Ifs! Ali!” She shouts, passing through the library threshold and catching a glimpse of Monifa and Ali curled together on the couch. “Hogwarts, attack!” She doesn't stop, just continues, jumping over the couch and sliding into shadows, bending them around her and wrapping her uniform and mask around her. Exiting the shadows, she finds herself sliding out from underneath the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall which is full of students, teachers and Death Eaters. Within seconds eight other masked figure appear from under the tables, following the path she left. “Well, isn’t this lovely.” Jaguar's androgynous drawl rings around the room making Voldemort's red eyes narrow. A jolt from Roc’s wrist has all of the tables spinning and shooting towards the teachers and the students screaming at the unexpected movement. The nine figures between the tables jump straight up, allowing the table to slide under them, landing to form a barrier between the two groups.

“So how are we going to do this?” Phoenix asks calmly.

“The easy way,” Hellhound’s bland tone washes over them.

“Or the hard way?” Wolf tilts his head, watching those in white blank masks.

“We’re on the other side of the doors.” Crocodile's voice comes over the radio.

“Hold.” Wolf murmurs softly, just loud enough for the microphone to pick up. Jaguar starts humming and Phoenix wandlessly sets up wards that will shred anyone trying to apparate or portkey away and move them to the other half of their group to be finished off.

“Kill them.” Voldemort snarls and Death Eaters start shooting curses at the group. A bronze tinted shield materialize as Nundu raises her hand in a stop motion.

“Hard way then.” Owl shrugs languidly, malice clear.

“What about the kids?” Fox asks, glancing over her shoulder.

“Coyote, Fox, Roc, Owl, Nundu, get them out of here.” Wolf nods at the five he called out who immediately spring into action corralling the students towards a passage in the wall beside where the Gryffindor table usually sits. The other four pull out a bow and cock an arrow, pointing at the group of DE’s, and let the strings go, sending the arrows that had vials tied to the head flying into the crowd. The vials shatter on contact and send fumes and liquid to coat the area around it. Screams begin to rent the air as the contents begin to eat through whatever it touches. They let loose a few regular arrows into the fray, catching a few on their path. Soon all of the students are gone, much to the teachers’ displeasure and anxiety. A Death Eater with an arrow in his shoulder tries to disapparate. He screams as the wards rip him to shreds. Jaguar clucks her tongue as she feels Voldemort test the wards Phoenix set up, trying to find an opening. “Where the fuck” Wolf snarls at the Sickness spreader.

“Do you think you're going?” Jaguar growls, startling those watching with it's intensity. Three DE’s bolt for the doors. The moment they close, they reopen and a head, arm and liver fly over the DE group, sliding to a stop at the assassins’ feet.

“I don't think that was a smart move.” Phoenix muses, sounding pleased.

“Alright Mudblood,”

“What next?” Jaguar and Wolf switch on and off. One of the Death Eaters shriek at them about how wonderful and pure their Dark Lord is. Their laughter quickly shuts him up.

“Pureblood?”

“No no no.”

“His father was a muggle.”

“It's quite pathetic actually.”

“His mother had to use a love potion”

“to get him to even look at her.”

“And the moment she stopped”

“Drugging him”

“To rape him,”

“He left”

“and she died,”

“leaving him”

“in a muggle orphanage.”

“Her last”

“and only”

“pitiful”

“request?”

“Name him Tom Riddle after his father.” It's nearly impossible to determine who is speaking since the voices all sound the same, but the last sentence all four speak simultaneously, voices intertwining together, filling the room ominously.

“So,”

“once more.”

“What's next,”

“Mudblood?” At the same time they're asking, through their earring that connect them to the others, they are forced to listen as students start screaming.

“DRACO!” Coyote yells, spinning in her heels to see Voldie’s snake lunging at him and,

“HARRY!” Fox’s voice mixes with her as the two boys starts running from the large snake, getting separated from the group.

“Coyote go!” Roc shouts over the students’ panic and immediately the silver mask takes off after the two 16 year olds.

“Bat, find them.” Wolf orders quietly making the death eaters look around confused. Voldemort spins around and stalks to the door. “Scatter, Voldie Moldie and his death munchers in route.”

“I want anyone in those masks dead.” Voldemort's cold voice echoes around the entire castle. Laughter chases the command around mockingly.

“You'll have to catch us.” The words twist and twine around the death eaters, disorienting them. An arrow flies down from the ceiling, catching one in the neck. When they start to look up an entire volley shoots down. Most manage to throw a shield up, the unlucky few who didn't hit the ground, arrows poking out of the eyes of the mask.

“There!” One shouts, pointing at a Viper, who pauses long enough to keep their attention before rounding the corner, seven death eaters following her. Another spots Wolverine at the top of the stairs. Ten start chasing her. Jaguar materializes at the other end of the hallway. Voldemort and Snape take the last 12 followers and start advancing on her. She starts running, leading them in a twirling chase with them firing curses at her, blowing chunks out of walls and floors in the process. They reach the moving staircase and Jaguar leaps, landing on a case that was moving towards the platform she was on. She wants them to follow her. All but two death eaters are on the staircase when Cobra and Crocodile appear on the platform. They grab the two death eaters and shove them, head first, over the banister. Their necks snap on impact with the ground, the cracking noise projected so they can hear it. Before their cohorts can react the two assassins are gone and Jaguar is moving again, throwing a curse over her shoulder. The death eater it hits starts screaming as his lips and eyes are sewn shut with black lace, blood spurting out of the wounds. In his panic, he collides with the banister and topples over, joining the other two. The chase continues with a snarled Avada Kedavra directed at Jaguar. She dodges it easily enough and leads them into a straight hallway in an unused portion of the castle. She stops at the end and a purple shield stop all spells from reaching her. Once all of them reach the middle of the passage, she takes off to the right just as a wave from Tiger's hand causes spikes to erupt from the walls and pin half of the death eaters to the opposite wall, blood pooling at their feet. Voldemort's hand tightens on his wand as he follows the masked figure. He corners Jaguar in a large round room similar to a drama stage, with her in the middle of the stage, looking completely relaxed. A flash of black has Voldemort turning around. Lion has dropped from the ceiling onto one of the remaining five death eaters.

“ _Avada_ -” A cutting curse slices a gash his shoulder, jerking his arm, interrupting his killing curse, and allowing Lion to cave in a death eater's ribcage. He focuses back on the burgundy mask but before he can kill the assassin, Lion fades into the shadows, disappearing.

“Looks like it's my turn.” Jaguar calls out from center stage, regaining their attention, lifting her hand up, palms skywards, for dramatic effect. “Now, how to go about this. I think I will have fun with those three first. Let me think.” Her finger taps her mask’s chin, then points at the one on the right edge. “How pathetic can one become? Thou is worthless, nothing more than a sorry excuse for a human. Air should not be wasted on such a trivial event such as thy desire to breathe.” Voldemort scoffs as she does nothing more than talk until he hears a choked sob. Turning, he sees his follower that Jaguar is pointing at place the tip off his wand under his chin.

“What are you-”

“ _Bombarda._ ” As the last syllable passes his lips he comes back into himself and has a split second to scream before the spell causes his head to coat the surrounding area in brains, blood, and skull slivers.

“Who desires to be next, hmmm? Ah, thou is perfect.” Jaguar purrs the last word, moving her finger to the guy on the other edge. “What shall I do with thee? Ooh, I know, how wonderful.” The guy falls to his knees and starts gasping for air. “Does thee how thy body reacts to terror? When thy conscious knows there is no danger, but thy subconscious does not?” Jaguar places her shields up and sticks Severus and Voldie’s feet to the ground, summoning their wands and snapping then over her knee, so she can focus completely on the others. “First, certain... areas… of the body relax, areas such as bladder and bowels.” She thanks every deity she likes that she remembered to put that rune to eliminate those smells. “All the while thy heart picks up and thy lungs try to suck in more oxygen. Once the heart reaches a certain rate, it can no longer withstand the force and begins to breakdown and slow. See this is where thy problems truly begin.” He’s twitching on the ground as she forces his heart to speed up and keep going past the normal limit. Voldemort and Snape are spitting curses at her, both of the magical kind and the regular. “Eventually the valves don't have time to open or close fully, and the heart is moving too fast to properly get blood everywhere. This leads to heart attacks.” He gives one last spasm before falling flat on his face, still. “I love saving the best for last. I already know what I desire to do with thee.” The last one stares into the black holes that serve as the eye holes. He glances around and finds himself alone in a dark long corridor, his mask gone. Darkness swallows one side of the hallway and begins creeping towards him. He takes off running as high pitched laughter rings out from the shadows and he catches a flash of pale skin. He keeps going until he comes to a fork. He glances back and forth, then looks behind him to see the darkness moving faster and glowing blue and purple eyes above sharp, shark teeth, glistening red. He shoots right and soon runs into a fellow death eater. Another burst of laughter and patter of bare feet quickly moving towards him has him shoving his companion behind him in a burst of panic. The darkness wraps around the disoriented figure and he starts moving faster when ripping noises and screams that don't sound human anymore echo around him. Pieces of a body start flying at him from the shadows, a chunk of lung sliding against his cheek. He comes to a crossroad and stops to spin around and around, looking down each seemingly endless corridor. One has the shadows still chasing him and he sobs catching another flash of blue and purple. He pauses a moment longer then takes off left. He starts heaving ugly sobs when he finds himself in the dead end with the stage. The darkness has reached the threshold of the room and his back slams into the stage as he scrambles away from it. Blue and purple eyes appear set in the face of a little girl who looks to be about six who walks out of the shadows in a little white and blue sundress. There are bloodstains soaking places of the dress, her bare feet are covered in red, there's a steady drip of blood from her chin, her face is smeared in the liquid, and some of her hair is dripping gore. She bares her teeth, showing rows and rows of razor sharp teeth, flesh stuck between a few of them. The shadows spread out behind her, encasing everything it reaches as she walks towards him. He starts screaming, trying to escape, and puts up his hand trying to fend her off. She tilts her head then rips off the hands blocking her path. His screams hit a new pitch as she tears into him, her nails and teeth scratching and tearing into his stomach, sending his organs and intestines onto the floor. He's still screaming and crying, begging for mercy, as she reaches his heart, not waiting to remove it before taking a chunk with her teeth, her laughter ringing in his ears.

What last close to an hour for the last death eater is only a second for Voldemort and Severus. All they hear is an ominous snapping noise before the last one is on the ground, drooling and trembling, not responding to anything they do. Jaguar sits down, her feet dangling off the stage.

“What did you do?” At Voldemort hissed question, Jaguar starts laughing and Bat appears beside her.

“Hello Severus.” Severus’s eyes widen at the phrase. Pushing their masks up and tossing their hoods back, Blane and Nisi smirk at the shocked looks.

“I broke him.” Her smoky voice fills the room now that the voice modulator rune isn't active.

“You!”

“Me!” She winks at Severus. “We wanted to accidentally kill you during the Diagon Attack, but Blane wanted to do something special.”

“Modified bloodmoss.” Noticing Nisi's quirked eyebrow, he elaborates. “I had to appease Alex since I told her she couldn't kill him at Diagon.” The two teens seem relaxed, but then their backs straighten and they seem to be focused on something else.

“Are you positive? The snake is dead? And the Horcrux in it?” Nisi speaks into thin air and Blane starts laughing when her jaw drops. “How in the hell did Draco get my swords?” She pats down her hip, searching for something. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she twist her wrist, calling her blades to her. She sets the black swords that she used to rip the Dursley’s souls to shreds beside her before refocusing on the two in front of her.

“Well that was the last Horcrux, so we can kill him now.” Twenty one figures walk out of the shadows at the back of the stage and join the two sitting down. Everyone removes their masks, Fred and George now with them, as are Gin, Draco, and Harry.

“Dumbledore will be looking for you.” Severus snarls at the group.

“Lady Hogwarts.” Mia sings and the ethereal spirit forms beside them, the same one Nisi spoke to after Josh broke into Hogwarts.

“He will not find you.”

“Thank you Lady.” They all chime happily. Blane waves his hand making Severus fly into a wall, groaning when his head hits the wall and chains hold him in place. Another motion from Blane has his clothes disappearing and the moss zooming to his big toe. He screams as it begins to burrow under the nail.

“When you say modified?”

“Quicker.” Nisi grins at Blane’s answer. “Still needs moisture though.”

“Got it.” Anthony flicks a finger at the body without a head and a stream of blood comes from the open jugular, flicking again he sends it splashing against the chained man, covering him in it.

“What are we going to do with Voldie Moldie?” Quinn’s bored question has Voldemort freezing and eyes widening.

“I don't know. We'll go with the flow i guess.” Nisi shrugs and they fall silent, watching the moss start taking over Severus body, within ten minutes it has covered up to his shin, replacing the blood vessels on the inside with its roots. He's no longer screaming, throat already raw, and the pain is near excruciating but not enough to knock him out.

“So Blane, what usually takes months-”

“Will now take mere hours.” Blane nods at Alex, answering her before she can finish.

_‘Synkínisi we desire to get our revenge.’_

“Ma?” Nisi tilts her head up, her eyes flickering into their uncontrolled form.

_‘We want our revenge, child.’_

“How does thee wish to proceed?” Everyone is watching Nisi with confusion or curiosity. She moans as energy shoots through her and her Mark starts to glow. Josh's eyes shift next, head falling back as his Mark glows as well. Anthony and Mia react together, gasping as their own Marks light up. One by one, the others’ Marks light up, leaving Fred, Gin, George, Harry, and Draco the only ones not affected alongside Voldemort and Severus. Nisi and Josh’s pupils are gone, there's a navy blue ring around Anthony's pupils, Mia's pupils are yellow now, the rest have split pupils and all are locked onto Voldemort. He starts struggling against the sticking charms on his feet.

“Tom Riddle, for thy crimes against the Earth and the Sickness thy spread, thou is hereby sentenced to Death.” All eighteen speak as one, their voices with new depths, sounding ancient and inhuman. “Thou is not the only one supported by the Courts. Thy God cannot help thee now.” Their right hands are lit with a ball of energy, everyone with a different color. Purple, gold, black, and yellow for Nisi, Josh, Anthony, and Mia, respectively. Louis's is cyan, Ali’s is light blue, and Monifa's is orange. Pink for Marylin, red for Alex, and bronze for Akil. Kana holds silver, Quinn holds aquamarine, and Jay holds burgundy. For Charlotte it's lilac, for Jake it's dark green, for Al it's light green, and for Blane it's dark blue. While Cate’s hand lights up copper. They all move together, aiming their palm at the Dark Lord. “Thy sentence is death by firing squad.” He gives one last try to make a mad scramble out of the way, but the charm doesn't let up and he screams as burst of color soar at him. He starts turning to ash under the energy. The last thing he sees is glowing purple, blue, and gold. Leaning on each other, the 18 sit back down as their Marks dim and return to normal.

“Okay, so what was that?” Harry asks, sounding a little off.

“We were Channeling. It happens when our Gods use us as vessels.”

“Your Gods?”

“The God or Goddess that Patron us.”

“Patron?” Nisi points at her arm showing her Mark. She points to the section that looks like a backwards greek letter for sum with a crescent moon connecting the top and bottom.

“My Lady is The Dark Lady.”

“My Lord is Chaos.” Josh's collarbone has swirling galaxy etched into it.

“My Lady is Isis.” Cate shows the ankh she received a few months ago.

“My Lord is Taranis.” Louis flashes the rolling storm clouds on his right arm.

“My Lady is Proserpina.” There's a vivid pomegranate cradling a pink poppy flower on Mia's right shoulder.

“My Lord is Hades.” The helm of Darkness is interwoven into Anthony's skin. The trend continues as Alex claims Venus and shows the Mark of a dove carrying the Venus symbol. Ali’s Lady is Skadi, her mark is a bow shooting white crystals. Blane names Hodur and shows bloodsoaked mistletoe. Next Marylin flashes an intricate bear claw and claims Artio as her Lady. There's a torch with purple flames on Charlotte’s pale skin from Hecate. Afallach’s Labyrinth Mark covers Jake's arm. Jay has an anvil and is the Voice of Vulcan. Quinn’s Lady is Hel with the Mark detailing half a skull and half a woman. A crocodile eating a humanoid skull represents Am-heh on the right forearm of Al. Akil is the Voice of Horus with the Mark as the Eye of horus. Kana sports Sekhmet's papyrus scepter. And Monifa has the Mark of a raven and the Lady Macha.

“This is so weird.” Harry bemoans causing everyone else to laugh as they watch Severus become overcome by bloodmoss.

“Well at least you don’t have to worry about Voldie anymore Harry.” Nisi comments, her head laying against Anthony’s side.


End file.
